Development process of nuclear power industry in a developing country: Korean experience and implications

Abstract

Korea has exerted her efforts to assimilate nuclear power technology, and reportedly localized 95 percent of nuclear power technology by 1995. This paper investigates the evolution of the nuclear power program in Korea to exploit the development process of the nuclear power industry and key factors for the technological localization of nuclear power plants. In developing countries, an imitative catching-up process can be shown as a course for developing the absorptive capacity of foreign technology, which depends on prior knowledge base and the intensity of effort. The process of technological learning consists of five stages including preparation, implementation of foreign technology, acquisition of peripheral technology, acquisition of core technology, and improvement of foreign technology. Moreover, this paper discusses six essential factors that have influenced the successful achieve ment of technological localization of nuclear power plants in Korea. They include the role and strategies of the government, the leading role of utility firms, the development and cooperation of the related organizations, the development of human resources and their efforts, market conditions and the assistance of foreign donors, and social conditions. Finally, this paper discusses implications offered by the Korean experience for other developing countries. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.