South Korea is preparing to introduce a new preliminary review system for small modular reactors (SMRs) later this month, aimed at streamlining developers’ safety and design checks before formal licensing. The plan is being set up by the country’s nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC). Nuclear regulator chief Choi Won-ho says several companies are preparing to submit applications as soon as the system takes effect.
Across outlets, the core details are consistent: SMRs are framed as a potential carbon-free power source amid growing electricity demand, including from data centres associated with the AI boom. The system allows developers to undergo verification steps earlier, similar to approaches already used in countries such as the United States and Canada. Yonhap presents the same development in an interview format, while Korea Times leads with the regulator’s remarks and the expected timing and number of firms expressing intent to apply.
