Gyeongju City Ramps Up Bid to Host First Innovative SMR (i-SMR)...Aiming to Become a Next-Generation Nuclear Power Hub
by Choi Daeok
Published 18 Feb.2026 12:24(KST)
Targeting completion in 2035, pursuing attraction of a 680 MWe i-SMR project
Comprehensive attraction efforts through a citywide signature campaign, National Assembly forums, and more
Gyeongju City has begun full-fledged efforts to attract the first unit of the Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR), a core component of the next-generation nuclear power industry.
The city’s strategy is to solidify its position as the hub of South Korea’s nuclear power industry and secure leadership in future energy.
Image illustrating the spread of power from an innovative small modular reactor (i-SMR) to local industrial facilities and community infrastructure. Provided by Gyeongju-si.
원본보기 아이콘On the 18th, Gyeongju City announced that it would publicize at home and abroad that it is the optimal site for the construction of the first i-SMR unit and, through systematic attraction activities, take the lead in the next-generation nuclear power plant industry.
According to Gyeongju City, the first i-SMR unit will have an installed capacity of 680 MWe, consisting of four 170 MWe-class modules.
It is designed for an 80-year operating life, with completion targeted for 2035.
The site will cover 496,000 square meters (approximately 150,000 pyeong) in a coastal-adjacent area.
The site selection process will proceed in the following order: launch of an open call for voluntary bids, submission of applications by local governments, evaluation and selection by the Site Selection Evaluation Committee, and final notification.
Gyeongju City has laid the groundwork by signing a work agreement with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to create an “SMR Smart Net-Zero City,” while also promoting the establishment of a national SMR industrial complex and the construction of the Munmu the Great Science Research Institute.
Accordingly, when Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced a call for bids for new nuclear power plant construction last month, the city also formulated its plan to attract the i-SMR project.
Going forward, the city plans to build consensus through residents’ briefings and SMR and National Assembly forums, while simultaneously carrying out a citywide signature campaign and obtaining the city council’s approval.
Mayor Joo Nakyoung of Gyeongju stated, “Attracting the first i-SMR unit is a strategic task that will determine the next 100 years of Gyeongju’s future,” adding, “As South Korea’s representative nuclear power city, we will pool our capabilities and spare no administrative and policy support so that we can leap forward as a center of the next-generation energy industry.”
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