A Study on the Governance Determinants of Nuclear Export Competitiveness: Lessons from Rosatom, EDF, and Team USA for a Korean Model

This study examines the structural limitations of Korea's nuclear power plant export regime and proposes governance reforms. Although Korea entered the global market through the 2009 Barakah project in the United Arab Emirates, its export performance has remained limited in most major markets except the Czech Republic. A key structural constraint lies in the dualized governance between Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), which weakens strategic coordination and the integration of financial and diplomatic instruments. Comparative analysis of France, Russia, China, and the United States shows that these countries operate unified or strongly coordinated export platforms supported by state-backed financing, thereby enhancing negotiation power and project execution capacity. Based on these findings, this study proposes three reform measures: the establishment of a permanent “Team Korea” nuclear export committee, the creation of a unified nuclear export agency (KNEA), and the adoption of SPC/PPP-based small modular reactor (SMR) export models. The results highlight that a state-led integrated governance system, beyond technological capability and policy finance, is essential for strengthening Korea's global nuclear export competitiveness.