South Korea’s rapid ascent in fusion research — from a standing start in the 1990s to the world-record-setting KSTAR tokamak and plans for the K-DEMO power plant.
ReviewedLast reviewed: 9 Aug 2026·Category: History & Milestones
Origins
South Korea’s national fusion program began in earnest in 1995 with the decision to build KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research), overseen by the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE, formerly NFRI). The program was driven by Korea’s lack of domestic energy resources and desire for energy independence.[1]
KSTAR
KSTAR achieved first plasma in 2008 and has since set multiple world records for high-performance plasma sustainment, including 30-second H-mode operation at 100 million degrees Celsius in 2024. It is the first tokamak built entirely with superconducting Nb3Sn toroidal and NbTi poloidal field coils.
KSTAR has become a key ITER partner facility, developing plasma control techniques, ELM suppression methods, and disruption mitigation strategies directly applicable to ITER operations.[2]
K-DEMO
Korea plans K-DEMO, a demonstration fusion power plant targeting ~500 MWe net electricity, as a bridge between ITER and a commercial reactor. The conceptual design envisions first operation in the late 2030s to early 2040s.[3]
Sources
Lee, G.S. et al. "Design and construction of the KSTAR tokamak." Nuclear Fusion, 41, 1515, 2001.
Yoon, S.W. et al. "KSTAR: an advanced steady-state superconducting tokamak experiment." Nuclear Fusion, 51, 113009, 2011.
Kim, K. et al. "Conceptual design study of the Korean fusion DEMO reactor." Fusion Engineering and Design, 88, 488–491, 2013.