KAERI was established in 1959 as the Atomic Energy Research Institute (national research institute).
Spin off companies and institutions KAERI has made significant contributions to the nation's nuclear technology development. After Korea achieved self-reliance in nuclear core technologies, KAERI have transferred highly developed technologies to local industries for practical applications. • The
Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), responsible for supporting the government in regulatory and licensing works, and the Nuclear Environment Technology Institute, responsible for low and medium level
radioactive waste management, are also originally spin-offs from KAERI. • KAERI established the present
KEPCO E&C (full name: KEPCO Engineering & Construction Company, INC., formerly: KOPEC), responsible for not only the architect engineering works of
nuclear power plants, but also for designing nuclear steam supply systems. • KAERI also established the present Korea Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. (KNFC), responsible for designing and manufacturing
PWR as well as
PHWR fuels. • In 2004 the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control was spun out of KAERI.
KAERI developed chad commercialized technologies • In 1995 KAERI designed and constructed the nation's first multipurpose
research reactor,
HANARO based on the Canadian
MAPLE design. . Reactor based on this design exported to
Jordan as
Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR). • KAERI is dedicated to finding a wide range of uses for atomic energy. As examples, KAERI developed the world's first
radiopharmaceutical "Milican injection" for treating
liver cancer. • The
System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART). ==See also==