Korea’s Nuclear Odyssey Beyond Borders: From KEDO to the Age of AI

Every odyssey begins with a departure, but the Odyssey is also a story of return??"not just to where one began, but to lessons learned along the way.

South Korea’s nuclear journey beyond its borders spans three landmark projects: KEDO in North Korea, Barakah in the United Arab Emirates, and Dukovany in the Czech Republic. Each unfolded in a different international environment, from nonproliferation and energy cooperation to commercial competition and today’s renewed concerns over geopolitics and energy security. Dr. Lim compares these projects to trace the evolution of Korea’s nuclear export capabilities. As AI and data centers add new momentum to nuclear energy, she asks whether Korea’s path forward may ultimately lead back to an earlier lesson: the importance of international cooperation.

Speaker: Eunjung Lim, Kongju National University, Korea

Location: 3rd Floor Philippines Conference Room (C330)