KOREA-UAE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECTS

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean-built nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to go into operation next year. Prior to the plant's opening, Korea and the UAE held a high-ranking officials' meeting to find ways to partner up for other countries' nuclear power projects.

[Pkg]

The first of the four nuclear reactors built by a Korean coalition in the United Arab Emirates will start to be fueled in February. The reactor's commercial operation is bound to transform the UAE's power supply structure, which used to rely on thermal power generation. Prior to the momentous occasion, Korea and the UAE held a high-level meeting yesterday in Abu Dhabi. The two parties agreed to build on their special strategic partnership and cooperate fully in areas such as nuclear reactor operation and maintenance, technology research and development, as well as safety and regulation.

[Soundbite] SUHAIL AL MAZROUI(UAE ENERGY MINISTER)

The two countries plan to develop a cooperation model to partner up for nuclear power projects in other countries. The goal is to create synergy by combining Korea's technological capability and the UAE's influence over the Middle East.

[Soundbite] LEE TAE-HO(2ND VICE FOREIGN MINISTER) : "We are working together to pair up for nuclear projects in other countries while cooperating in nuclear regulation issues."

Since the UAE is investing heavily in finance and high-tech manufacturing sectors, the latest agreement may bring far-reaching ramifications in other economic areas as well. However, there are challenges ahead: meeting both the demand for nuclear technology export and the worldwide call for fewer nuclear reactors as well as devising ways to deal with nuclear superpowers. Korea and the UAE plan to hold another high-level nuclear meeting in Seoul next year.