{
  "id": 17236012,
  "title": "S. Korea, US can make 'great' progress in SMRs: State Department official",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/s-korea-us-can-make-great-progress-in-smrs-state-department-official-17236012",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T14:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/others/20261030/s-korea-us-can-make-great-progress-in-smrs-state-department-official"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Incheon — The United States and South Korea possess complementary strengths and are well-positioned to make significant advancements in the nuclear sector as the world intensifies its pursuit of next-generation reactors, according to a U.S. State Department official. Christopher Klein, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear nonproliferation and commercial competitiveness at the U.S. Department of State, shared these insights in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday. Klein emphasized that, during an exclusive conversation, the global landscape has shifted into a nuclear renaissance.\n\nKlein highlighted that both South Korea and the United States boast extensive experience and expertise in nuclear technology. When these two nations collaborate, he stated, they can accomplish remarkable feats. This collaborative effort was showcased at the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power, which took place in Incheon, a city west of Seoul, for the first time this year. The three-day event, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), provided a platform for discussions on the future of nuclear energy.\n\nKlein's comments come as increasing interest is being directed towards Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — a novel category of nuclear power plants. As countries strive to secure reliable, carbon-free energy sources, SMRs have garnered considerable attention due to their potential benefits in terms of safety, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.",
  "summary": "INCHEON — South Korea and the United States have complementary strengths and are capable of driving \"great\" progress in the nuclear sector amid a heated global race to develop next-generation reactors, a U.S. State Department official said. Christopher Klein, the deputy assistant secretary for nuclear nonproliferation and commercial competitiveness at the U.S. Department of State, made the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}