From Flaws to Pride

The Formation of the “Korean Standard” Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea, 1983-1996

Bibliographic Data

ID7818680
AuthorsYeseul PARK (0000-0003-0272-3504, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume30
Issue1
Pages193-240
Publication date2025-06-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Korean History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1598-2041 • E-ISSN: 2508-5921
PublisherCenter for Korean History (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.22372/ijkh.2025.30.1.193
OpenAlexW4412925617
LanguageEN
References cited10

This article examines how Korean nuclear technocrats formulated the concept of the “Korean standard” nuclear power plant in the 1980s and how its meaning shifted from a compromise to a symbol of national pride through the material realization of the Yeonggwang Units 3 and 4 construction projects. Initially seen as a flaw created by the active modification and adaptation of foreign standards within Korea’s limited technological environment, this concept was redefined as a creative transformation of foreign technologies through the actual construction of the plants by the 1990s. This shift, toward viewing the Korean standard reactor as a flawless achievement embodying Korea’s technological self-reliance, laid the foundation for a fervent techno-nationalist belief in the technological excellence and export potential of Korean-style reactors. By analyzing technical papers and reports written by Korean nuclear technocrats, this article highlights how the techno-nationalism, epitomized by the Korean standard, was reinforced through policy initiatives and material practices

Ancient history · Economic history · Political science · Pride · Asian Industrial and Economic Development · History · Korean Peninsula Historical and Political Studies · Law

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