DAEJEON — Kim Byung-koo, a scientist who was present at the center of South Korea's push for independence in nuclear reactor technology, has put his decades of experience and reflections into a book.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute said on the 19th that Kim, former head of its Future Nuclear Technology Development Division, will publish "Time to Ask About Nuclear Power Again: From K-Reactors to SMRs" on the 20th.
Kim worked at the institute for about 30 years, contributing to South Korea's drive for self-reliance in reactor design technology, including the reactor system design for the Yeonggwang (Hanbit) No. 3 and No. 4 units. He later served as director of technical cooperation at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and as a nuclear energy adviser to Saudi Arabia, working in the field both at home and abroad.
The book traces how South Korea imported nuclear technology, secured its own reactor design capabilities and went on to export reactors overseas. It addresses not only the achievements of Korean-designed reactors but also the challenges the country must resolve in a shifting global nuclear market and the question of future competitiveness.
Organized into six chapters, the book covers the beginnings of South Korean nuclear research in the 1950s, the technology independence achieved with the Yeonggwang No. 3 and No. 4 units, and the development of the APR1400, the Korean-designed reactor. It then examines the contract wins in the United Arab Emirates and the Czech Republic, the standing of major reactor-exporting countries, and South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation along with the prospects of entering the U.S. market. The book also analyzes the outlook for commercializing small modular reactors (SMRs), drawing attention as next-generation reactors, and South Korea's technological competitiveness in that field, while offering advice to younger engineers who will lead the nuclear industry in the years ahead.
"It is important to pass on to the next generation the technology and experience the Korean nuclear industry has accumulated," Kim said. "I hope this book serves as an occasion to look back on the history of nuclear technology independence and exports, and at the same time to think about the role and future of Korean nuclear power in a changing energy environment."