Enacted in March, the special act and its enforcement decree require the Ministry of Science and ICT to draw up a basic plan for SMR development every five years, backed by annual implementation plans and regular progress reviews.
The plan taking effect Friday must address nuclear fuel supply chains, public acceptance, workforce training and regulatory reform.
A promotion committee chaired by the science minister, including vice-minister-level officials from the energy, industry and defense ministries alongside private experts, will review key issues.
The law allows the government to bankroll projects by companies co-invested by private firms and public institutions, within budget limits, and to back joint research consortia. Areas clustering universities, research institutes and companies can also be designated SMR research zones.
The ministry said it will launch public-private detailed design work next year, aiming to commercialize a light-water SMR before 2035. It also plans to foster co-invested firms for non-light-water designs and explore maritime, defense and space applications.
"The enforcement of the SMR special act and its decree is an institutional starting point for linking the nuclear research capabilities Korea has built up to demonstration and commercialization, and expanding them into an industry," said Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Science Minister.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea's special act on small modular reactor development and its enforcement decree took effect on Sept. 11, 2026, establishing a government-wide framework led by the Ministry of Science and ICT to move SMRs from research to commercialization.
- The law requires the Ministry of Science and ICT to draw up an SMR development plan every five years, creates a promotion committee chaired by the science minister, and permits state funding for companies co-invested by private firms and public institutions.
- The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to commercialize a light-water SMR before 2035, while the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's review of the i-SMR design, filed in February 2026, has no fixed completion date.
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