United States agrees to promote small nuclear reactors with Seoul and Tokyo

The United States, Japan, and South Korea have forged an agreement to collaboratively advance the deployment of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) across the Indo-Pacific region. This significant pact was solidified during a meeting of the three nations' foreign ministers in Turkey, coinciding with the NATO summit.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun participated in the meeting. They signed a "memorandum of cooperation" specifically designed to "promote cooperation among Japanese, American, and South Korean companies regarding the introduction of small modular reactors (SMRs) in third countries." The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs detailed that the agreement seeks to bolster energy supply within the Indo-Pacific and uphold the "highest levels" of safety and non-proliferation, including facilitating projects through loans and investments.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the pact as an "opportunity for South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which possess complementary strengths in the civil nuclear sector, to foster mutually beneficial cooperation at the industrial level." SMRs, currently with only two operational units globally (one in Russia and one in China), are advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to 300 MW per unit, significantly smaller than traditional 1,000 MW plants. Their smaller construction volume allows for quicker deployment and lower initial investment costs.

These reactors are viewed as a key component of future nuclear energy strategies and are attracting interest from major technology firms involved in artificial intelligence due to the substantial energy demands of data centers. During their meeting, the ministers also addressed other critical issues, including cooperation on artificial intelligence and the denuclearization of North Korea. They emphasized the importance of "addressing malicious cyber activities that finance the nuclear and missile programs" of Pyongyang, according to the Japanese statement.