Korea’s Nuclear Odyssey Beyond Borders: From KEDO to the Age of AI

Every odyssey begins with a departure, but the Odyssey is also a story of return—not just to where one began, but to lessons learned along the way.

South Korea’s nuclear journey beyond its borders spans three landmark projects: KEDO in North Korea, Barakah in the United Arab Emirates, and Dukovany in the Czech Republic. Each unfolded in a different international environment, from nonproliferation and energy cooperation to commercial competition and today’s renewed concerns over geopolitics and energy security. Dr. Lim compares these projects to trace the evolution of Korea’s nuclear export capabilities. As AI and data centers add new momentum to nuclear energy, she asks whether Korea’s path forward may ultimately lead back to an earlier lesson: the importance of international cooperation.

About the speaker:

Eunjung Lim is a visiting scholar at APARC and professor in International Studies at Kongju National University in Korea. Her research focuses on international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, comparative and global governance, and energy, nuclear, and climate change policies in East Asia. She previously served as a board member of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (May 2018–July 2024) and as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Just Transition of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth. She currently serves as a member of the Policy Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Unification and as a member of the governing board of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

Dr. Lim received a BA from the University of Tokyo, an MIA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.