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Busan Metropolitan City Establishes the “Busan Metropolitan City Nuclear Industry Promotion Plan” to Advance as a Next-Generation Nuclear Industry Hub

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that it has formulated and will actively implement the “Busan Metropolitan City Nuclear Industry Promotion Plan (2026–2030)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), with the vision of “Busan, a Future Energy Industry City Where Safety and Innovation Coexist.”

The Plan is the first comprehensive policy framework for Busan’s nuclear industry established under the Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Nuclear Industry in Busan Metropolitan City. It comprehensively reflects both changes in the global nuclear industry paradigm and national policy directions.

In response to policy environment changes, including the full-scale expansion of the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market and the commencement of the nation’s first commercial nuclear power plant decommissioning project, the Plan presents policy directions and goals for the five-year period from 2026 through 2030 and will serve as a mid- to long-term roadmap for Busan’s nuclear industry development policies.

Specifically, the Plan sets four strategic pillars: expanding industrial infrastructure, strengthening corporate competitiveness, fostering field-oriented talent, and promoting industry-academia-research-government cooperation. It includes strategies to transform the existing large-scale nuclear power-centered industrial structure into one focused on next-generation nuclear industries.

First, under the strategy of expanding industrial infrastructure, Busan will concentrate next-generation nuclear infrastructure around the SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center and establish a foundation for participation in global SMR supply chains.

To strengthen corporate competitiveness, the City plans to operate a customized, full-cycle support system that includes assistance for integrated certification acquisition, linkage with policy financing, and support for business diversification, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of local nuclear power companies.

For field-oriented talent development, Busan will cultivate practical workforce capabilities in preparation for the full-scale decommissioning of Kori Unit 1 and other developments. Through industry-academia-research-government cooperation, the City will also expand the industry base and public acceptance by operating consultative bodies, building export networks, and establishing promotional facilities.

To implement this comprehensive plan, Busan will gradually pursue 18 key initiatives under the four strategic pillars and invest approximately KRW 188.2 billion in total project costs over the next five years.

These investments and strategies will be realized across the four core areas of industrial infrastructure, business support, talent development, and networks. Each area will be interconnected and is expected to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of Busan’s nuclear industry as a whole.

Through these efforts, Busan’s nuclear industry is expected to evolve from a structure centered on large-scale nuclear power plants into an innovation hub for next-generation nuclear power equipment and component industries encompassing SMRs, nuclear decommissioning, and export-oriented business development.

Kim Kyung-duk, Acting Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “As a major nuclear power city that hosts 6 of the nation’s 26 nuclear reactors, Busan possesses sufficient competitiveness and potential to advance as a center of the next-generation nuclear industry. Based on this comprehensive plan, we will actively support Busan’s emergence as a global hub in next-generation nuclear sectors, including SMRs, nuclear decommissioning, and export infrastructure development.”