On September 8, reports emerged indicating that, driven by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's ambitious plans to ramp up chip production capacity, along with South Korea's ongoing construction of new artificial intelligence data centers, the nation's power demand is poised for a significant surge in the coming years. The South Korean Energy Minister highlighted that AI advancements alone are projected to escalate the country's power demand by an impressive 25 to 30 gigawatts. In response to this impending energy challenge, the South Korean government is set to unveil an updated version of its long-term energy plan next month, extending the planning horizon to 2040. A pivotal question looms large: Will South Korea commit to constructing additional nuclear reactors to meet this burgeoning demand? To put things into perspective, if the entire additional power requirement were to be met through nuclear energy, it would necessitate the construction of approximately 20 new nuclear reactors, based on the current specifications of South Korea's independently designed nuclear power units. As Asia's fourth-largest economy, South Korea currently operates 26 nuclear reactors, underscoring the magnitude of the potential expansion.