Singaporean Delegation Visited KAERI

A group of delegates from Singapore headed by Mr Tan Hai Chuan Peter, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited KAERI on January 18, 2017. The main purpose of the delegation, which was composed of people from different entities, was to learn about the expertise and experience generated in the fields of SMART technology and human resource development, as part of an effort to look into the feasibility of choosing nuclear energy as a long-term energy security option in Singapore.

At the meeting, KAERI staff members provided details on SMART, ranging from the historical development of SMART technology, which began in 1997, to the current status of cooperation with Saudi Arabia. They answered questions raised by the delegation on issues such as economic competitiveness, the operational and safety features of SMART, the level of public perception regarding nuclear energy after the Fukushima accident, and Korea’s efforts to promote public acceptance of nuclear energy.

As for the advice the delegation sought at HRD, the KAERI staff elaborated on the on-going efforts to attract and recruit talent in the areas of nuclear engineering and research, including KAERI education and training programs for the next generation, as well as the on-going talent-recruitment efforts being conducted at KAERI.
The Singaporean delegation highly evaluated the current advanced level of nuclear technology development that Korea has achieved over the past decades, and stated that, although there are no current plans to build nuclear power plants in Singapore, the country intends to develop its own pool of local nuclear experts in the future to attract more talent to broaden the career paths for nuclear scientists.

KAERI stated that it is ready to assist in and collaborate with Singapore in the introduction of nuclear energy in various areas including SMART and HRD.

The delegation made a technical tour of the SMART ITL (Integrated Test Loop) facility.