The South Korean government has formally approved a significant budget increase for its in-kind contributions to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The National Fusion Energy Committee, under the Ministry of Science and ICT, passed a revised plan raising the country's total project cost from an initial 746.4 billion won to 3.09 trillion won, equivalent to about $2.24 billion. This represents a more than fourfold increase over the original estimate established in 2003, before the final design of the ITER device was confirmed. The revision aims to account for the project's extended construction timeline, increased material costs, and overall complexity that has evolved over the past two decades. Source: ITER
As one of the seven domestic agencies contributing to the international collaboration, South Korea is responsible for procuring nine critical components for the tokamak. These include the vacuum vessel main body and ports, the thermal shield, and key elements of the superconducting magnet system, specifically the Toroidal Field (TF) coil structures. The country also provides diagnostic systems and the tritium storage and delivery system. This work leverages domestic expertise developed through projects like the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device, which has served as a key testbed for technologies and operational scenarios relevant to ITER. Source: ITER
As one of the seven domestic agencies contributing to the international collaboration, South Korea is responsible for procuring nine critical components for the tokamak.
The cost escalation reflects a broader trend among ITER member states, who are re-evaluating their commitments as the project advances toward its final construction phases. The initial 2003 cost basis for South Korea's contribution was established during preliminary planning stages. The subsequent detailed engineering design, coupled with global economic shifts affecting raw materials and manufacturing, necessitated the budget adjustment. According to project-wide reporting, the massive undertaking in Cadarache, France, is now approximately 80% complete, with assembly of the main tokamak device well underway. The budget revision provides the financial stability needed for Korean suppliers and institutes to complete their deliverables. Source: ITER
With the revised funding plan in place, the focus for the Korean domestic agency, ITER Korea, will be on managing the procurement and delivery of its remaining components to the Cadarache site. The overall ITER project timeline targets first plasma in the late 2020s or early 2030s, a milestone contingent on all seven members—the European Union, United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and South Korea—fulfilling their in-kind and financial obligations. This updated commitment from a key partner is critical for maintaining the project's integrated schedule. Observers will monitor how other member nations address their own evolving cost projections as the project moves from construction to the commissioning and operational phases of the world's largest fusion science experiment. Source: ITER