Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun (right), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (middle) and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi on July 7 take a group photo after their trilateral meeting in Ankara, Turkiye, after signing a memorandum of cooperation on speeding up the deployment of small modular reactors focused on the Indo-Pacific region. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 8 announced the launch of a cooperative framework with the U.S. and Japan to speed up the deployment of small modular reactors (SMR).

Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi the day before signed a memorandum of cooperation at their trilateral summit on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkiye, to accelerate the adoption of SMRs mainly in the Indo-Pacific region.

This agreement is expected to serve as the basis for promoting the mutual security interests of the three countries and fulfilling the energy security needs of partner states.

Seoul, Washington and Tokyo plan to reduce risks in the business development process and achieve economies of scale by creating an SMR deployment model that stimulates private investment, streamlines licensing procedures and optimizes supply chains.

This collaboration enables companies from the three countries to present competitive alternatives to meet energy demand in the region.

The three sides will also strictly uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation in the commercial application of SMR technology.

dusrud21@korea.kr