Yeongdeok and Gijang Win in New Nuclear Power Site Selection Competition (Comprehensive)

Yeongdeok Selected for Large-Scale Reactors, Gijang for SMR
"Detailed Site Surveys and Licensing Procedures to Follow"

Gyeongbuk Yeongdeok County and Busan Gijang County have been selected as the final sites for the construction of new nuclear power plants. Two large-scale nuclear power units will be built in Yeongdeok County, while one small modular reactor (SMR) will be established in Gijang County. With the site selection stage for new nuclear power construction projects reflected in the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand now complete, the project is set to enter a full-scale implementation phase.

The New Nuclear Power Site Selection Evaluation Committee announced on June 17 the evaluation results for candidate sites, stating that Yeongdeok County was chosen as the final site for large-scale nuclear power plants, and Gijang County was selected for the SMR segment.

This project is being carried out in line with the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand confirmed last year. The government had decided to build two new large-scale nuclear power units (2.8GW) and one SMR demonstration reactor (0.7GW). Accordingly, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power began the site selection process last year, and candidate sites have been reviewed by an evaluation committee consisting of external experts in policy and humanities, environment, nuclear engineering, geology, and seismology.

In the open call for site applications launched in January this year, Ulsan Ulju County and Gyeongbuk Yeongdeok County applied for the large-scale nuclear power plant segment, while Gyeongbuk Gyeongju City and Busan Gijang County competed in the SMR segment. Over a period of more than two months, the evaluation committee conducted preliminary site and environmental surveys, on-site inspections, and public opinion polls, followed by a comprehensive assessment.

According to the evaluation results, Yeongdeok County scored a total of 91.01 points, significantly outpacing Ulju County (82.63 points). In the SMR segment, Gijang County received 87.11 points, surpassing Gyeongju City (84.56 points).

Notably, the selected area in Yeongdeok includes Seok-ri and Nomul-ri of Yeongdeok-eup, and Gyeongjeong-ri of Chuksan-myeon, which were previously designated as the Cheonji nuclear power plant site. In Gijang, the designated site is the Jang-an-eup area near the Kori nuclear power plant, Korea's largest nuclear power complex, earning high marks for its potential to utilize existing nuclear infrastructure.

The evaluation committee explained, "Stable electricity supply is an essential task for securing national competitiveness and for future generations," adding, "We selected the optimal sites by considering the need to secure base-load power sources to support the industrial ecosystem and to promote regional coexistence."

The government and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power plan to carry out detailed site investigations and the necessary licensing procedures for the selected candidate sites. Once the new nuclear power construction is fully underway, these plants are expected to serve as core power sources to meet rising electricity demand driven by the expansion of AI data centers and advanced industries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.