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Kim Yong-beom, Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy. / Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

Following the announcement of the government's "Three Mega Projects," presidential aides are speaking in unison to stress the need for additional nuclear power plants.

The presidential office appears to be throwing its weight behind expanding nuclear energy as calls grow louder across industries and academia that a stable, large-scale power supply is vital for the success of the three mega projects: semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, and physical AI. With work on the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand nearing completion, attention is focusing on whether the government will revise its initial plan to include the construction of new nuclear reactors.

According to political sources on July 9, Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom appeared as a speaker at the Hankyung Millennium Forum the previous day and stated, "We should build as many new nuclear plants as needed if local regions want them. In this era of technological revolution, we must build nuclear reactors within a 100,000 square-kilometer radius if feasible."

In a Facebook post on July 3, Kim had already hinted at the possibility of constructing additional nuclear plants and dams to "unleash electricity and water" for the three mega projects. His latest remarks are interpreted as a more explicit statement on the necessity of adding nuclear power infrastructure.

Other presidential aides, including Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, are also backing the push for more nuclear plants. Immediately after the mega projects were announced, Kang noted, "It appears that details regarding nuclear power will be included in the 12th Basic Plan." In a subsequent media interview concerning power supply for the Honam semiconductor cluster, he stated, "We are in a position where we must review all options, including nuclear energy."

Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth Ha Joon-kyung also said on July 4, "While it is certain that renewable energy will expand, nuclear power may be required for what renewals cannot fully cover." Furthermore, Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung added support to the potential expansion on July 1, stating, "I understand that whether new nuclear power facilities can be introduced is being reviewed for the 12th Basic Plan."

The government had initially been conducting discussions under the premise that an additional 2.5 to 8.9 gigawatts (GW) of power capacity would be needed in the 12th Basic Plan. However, critics point out that the projects cannot be executed under the current proposal, given that the estimated power required just for the three mega projects announced late last month reaches 25 GW.

Since unveiling the blueprint for the mega projects on June 29, the presidential office has shifted into high gear, selecting the Gwangju Military Airport as the site for the Honam semiconductor cluster just a week later. Consequently, outlooks suggest that the government will incorporate the nuclear expansion plan into the 12th Basic Plan—scheduled to be finalized this autumn—to boost the execution capability of the projects and reaffirm its strong commitment to the initiative.

                                                                                                            Hong Sun-mi