Sites selected for Korean nuclear new build

South Korea's 11th Basic Plan - which covers 2024 to 2038 - calls for two new large nuclear power reactors with a combined capacity of 2.8 GWe and 700 MW of small modular reactor capacity to be built by 2038, in addition to the large reactors already under construction or planned.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) launched a bidding process to select the host cities or towns in January, days after the government confirmed plans to construct the reactors by 2038. Two regions - Ulju, in Ulsan and Yeongdeok, in Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang) - applied for the large nuclear power plant, while the regions of Gyeongju-si in Gyeongbuk and Gijang, in Busan, applied to host the small modular reactor (SMR) by the 30 March deadline.

The sites were then reviewed by the New Nuclear Power Plant Site Selection Evaluation Committee of external experts in policy/humanities, environment, nuclear power, and geology/seismology which was set up by KHNP in April last year. The committee carried out basic site and environmental surveys, on-site inspections and a public opinion survey on the applicant sites.

"Based on the objective data collected through these processes and the site evaluation criteria, the committee conducted a comprehensive evaluation and selected Yeongdeok-gun for the Large Nuclear Power Plant and Gijang-gun for the SMR as the candidate sites for the new nuclear power plants," KHNP said.

"A stable power supply is essential for securing national competitiveness and for future generations," the Site Selection Committee said. "Our committee strove to find the optimal location by prioritising regional co-prosperity and the role of the plant as a base load power source to sustain the industrial ecosystem."

The committee expressed its gratitude to the local governments and residents "who showed such fervent enthusiasm for hosting the project" and asked KHNP to "utilise the residents' opinions identified during the survey process - including reasons for support or opposition to nuclear power plant construction and suggestions for improvement - when formulating future cooperation plans with the region".

South Korea has four operational APR1400 units - Saeul units 1 and 2 (formerly Shin Kori 3 and 4) and Shin Hanul units 1 and 2. Four APR1400s are under construction as Saeul units 3 and 4 and Shin Hanul 3 and 4. Four APR1400 units have also been built at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, which are all now in commercial operation.

In February 2026, Korea's National Assembly passed the Special Act on the Promotion and Support of SMR Development, establishing a framework including a five-year basic plan and an SMR Development Promotion Committee. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to invest KRW1200 billion (USD830 million) by 2030 in core technology designs for three domestically developed SMR types. A consortium led by KHNP and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is developing the Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR) - an integrated pressurised water reactor type nuclear power plant with an electrical output of 170 MW for both domestic use and export.