The government of South Korea has formally approved a revised plan for its participation in the international ITER project, significantly increasing its financial commitment and extending its project timeline. The National Science and Technology Council endorsed a new total budget of 1.6 trillion won (approximately $1.16 billion), a fourfold increase from the 404.9 billion won allocated when the initial plan was approved in 2005. Concurrently, the timeline for South Korea's contributions has been extended by nine years, from an original end date of 2025 to a new target of 2034, reflecting updated schedules for the main project in Cadarache, France. Source: ITER
The substantial budget revision is attributed to several factors that have emerged over the nearly two decades of the project's life. According to the announcement, the primary drivers include rising global prices for raw materials, increased personnel expenses, and design changes mandated by the central ITER Organization to enhance device performance and safety. These adjustments are not unique to the South Korean contribution but are indicative of the systemic cost and schedule pressures affecting the multinational effort, which has seen its overall first plasma date shift from 2025 into the next decade. Source: ITER
The substantial budget revision is attributed to several factors that have emerged over the nearly two decades of the project's life.
As one of the seven domestic agencies, South Korea is responsible for a 9.1% share of the construction cost, provided as in-kind hardware contributions rather than direct cash payments. The nation's industrial partners are tasked with procuring and supplying nine major systems for the tokamak. Key components include the thermal shield, which protects the superconducting magnets from thermal radiation, and the massive toroidal field coil structures. South Korea is also responsible for manufacturing and delivering specific sectors of the main vacuum vessel, a critical component for containing the fusion plasma. Source: ITER
The revised plan underscores the long-term strategic commitment of member nations to the scientific goals of ITER, despite significant financial and scheduling overruns. The project aims to be the first magnetic confinement experiment to produce a net energy gain, targeting the generation of 500 MW of thermal fusion power from 50 MW of injected heating power, which corresponds to a plasma energy gain factor (Q) of 10. The updated South Korean budget and timeline provide the necessary framework for its domestic industry to complete its manufacturing obligations and deliver the complex, high-tolerance components required for the assembly phase in France. Source: ITER