South Korea has sharply increased next year's research and development spending on energy technology, centered on nuclear power, as securing electricity to run artificial intelligence data centers emerges as a core national competitiveness issue.
The Ministry of Science and ICT's total energy technology R&D budget for 2027 stands at 733.6 billion won, up 48% from this year and the highest on record, according to annual data on energy technology R&D that Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the Democratic Party of Korea obtained from the ministry. Hwang is a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee.
The nuclear R&D budget also reached a record 386.4 billion won under the government proposal, a 16.6% increase from this year. The gain was led by small modular reactor research, one of the seven SEED projects, whose budget surged 55.7% to 127.5 billion won.
Funding for nuclear fusion, the other energy pillar among the seven SEED projects, more than doubled from a year earlier to 284 billion won. Renewable energy R&D rose 64% to 21.5 billion won.
Hwang said the figures are 2.4 times the level of 2024, when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration cut R&D spending.
"In the AI era, energy technology is a national strategic asset, and national power will be determined by electricity," Hwang said. "Nuclear power, renewable energy and nuclear fusion must all be treated in the language of practicality and of responding to the future contest for supremacy, and we must build an irreplaceable energy powerhouse that will not be shaken by external shocks such as conflict in the Middle East."
