The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in Daejeon, South Korea was established in 1959 as the sole professional research-oriented institute for nuclear power

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...

 in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

, and has rapidly built a reputation for research and development in various fields. In 1995 KAERI designed and constructed the nation's first multipurpose research reactor

Research reactor

Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...

, HANARO based on the Canadian MAPLE

Maple

Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...

 design. KAERI is dedicated to finding a wide range of uses for atomic energy. As examples, KAERI developed the world's first radiopharmaceutical "Milican injection" for treating liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

 cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

.

KAERI has made significant contributions to the nation's nuclear technology development. After achieving self-reliance in nuclear core technologies, KAERI have transferred highly developed technologies to local industries for practical applications. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety

Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety in Daejeon, South Korea was independently established as the nuclear safety regulatory expert organization in February 1990 with a specific mission to develop and implement nuclear safety regulation...

 (KINS), responsible for supporting the government in regulatory and licensing works, and the Nuclear Environment Technology Institute, responsible for low and medium level radioactive waste

Radioactive waste

Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...

 management, are also originally spin-offs from KAERI. KAERI established the present Korea Power Engineering Co., Inc.(KOPEC

Kopec

Kopeć is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grabów nad Prosną, within Ostrzeszów County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Grabów nad Prosną, north-east of Ostrzeszów, and south-east of the regional capital Poznań.-References:...

), responsible for not only the architect engineering works of nuclear power plants, but also for designing nuclear steam supply systems. KAERI also established the present Korea Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.(KNFC), responsible for designing and manufacturing PWR

Pressurized water reactor

Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...

 as well as PHWR fuels.

External links

• KAERI website
• Korea University of Science and Technology
  Korea University of Science and Technology
  The University of Science and Technology is a group of public Universities and Research institutions located in Seoul, Suwon, Changwon, Ansan, Seongnam & Daejeon, in South Korea. The UST was established in 2003 by Korea's government as the nation’s graduate school specializing in science and...