Korean media: Cooperating with the US on nuclear power, South Korea worries about "being humiliated"

According to reports from South Korean media such as Yonhap News Agency, "Chosun Ilbo," and "JoongAng Ilbo," South Korean President Moon Jae-in held talks with US President Trump in Washington on August 25, local time. Nuclear power cooperation is expected to be a key issue in this South Korea-US summit. The US side has explicitly expressed hope for South Korean companies to participate in its nuclear energy revival plan. However, the South Korean industry is generally concerned that the agreement signed with the US company Westinghouse Electric is leading to technological dependence and market restrictions, resulting in a shrinking export market for South Korea's nuclear power. According to "Chosun Ilbo," if the two sides reach an agreement on nuclear power, the scale of cooperation may exceed the South Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation project. The South Korean hydro and nuclear power company is planning to establish a joint venture with Westinghouse Electric, seeking to enter the US and third-country markets together. The President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Hwang Joo-ho, has accompanied Moon Jae-in on the visit and will meet with senior officials of Westinghouse Electric. If South Korean and US leaders reach an agreement on this, the nuclear power project is expected to be included as part of South Korea's $350 billion investment fund for the US, and South Korean companies will also directly participate in the US government's nuclear energy expansion plan. According to Yonhap News Agency, Trump has proposed starting the construction of 10 large nuclear power plants by 2030, and increasing the nuclear power capacity from the current 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2050.