The Ministry of Science and ICT held a 'Korea-ITER Fusion Day' on the 22nd (local time) at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) construction site in Cadarache, France, commemorating the completion of the assembly of the final vacuum vessel sector module led by South Korea and the installation of the tokamak pit (the internal space where key fusion reactor components are assembled and installed).
South Korea, the United States, the European Union (EU), Japan, China, India, and Russia—the seven member states—are conducting the 'ITER Joint Development Project,' an international scientific cooperation initiative to verify the feasibility of fusion energy. Since 2007, this large-scale project has allocated €21.74 billion (KRW 36.68 trillion) solely for construction costs, with completion targeted by 2034.
The vacuum vessel, whose assembly has now been completed, creates and maintains a high-vacuum state to generate and sustain ultra-high-temperature plasma exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, essential for nuclear fusion reactions. Nine sector modules, each measuring 11.3 meters in height, 6.6 meters in width, and weighing approximately 400 tons, interlock to form a donut-shaped vacuum vessel. These modules must meet stringent precision, quality, safety, and regulatory standards.
South Korea not only completed its originally assigned two sector modules but also secured an additional two modules allocated to the EU, successfully manufacturing a total of four. The Ministry emphasized that this achievement reaffirms South Korea's international procurement capabilities and competitiveness in the fusion industry.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and ITER organized the commemorative event to widely publicize the completion of the assembly and encourage South Korea's fusion industry and research community. Approximately 150 key stakeholders, including Kim Sung-soo, Director-General of the Ministry's Research and Development Policy Bureau, Kwon Hyuk-woon, South Korea's Ambassador to France, and Pietro Barabaschi, Director-General of the ITER Organization, attended the ceremony.
Following the event, a discussion session was held at the ITER Organization's international conference center to gather opinions from local South Korean researchers and representatives of participating companies, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanul Engineering, KAT, and Eugene MS. The researchers and company representatives shared on-site insights, including experiences with high-difficulty R&D in large-scale international collaborative research and coordination challenges in multinational environments.
Kim Sung-soo, Director-General of the Ministry's Research and Development Policy Bureau, stated, “The successful installation of the vacuum vessel sector module amid intensifying global competition in fusion energy development serves as a showcase for South Korea's technological capabilities.” He added, “The Ministry will swiftly secure core technologies necessary for the early realization of fusion energy in the 2030s through the ITER project and continue to support strengthening domestic industrial competitiveness.”
