Honoring 70 Years of US-ROK Civil Nuclear Cooperation

  • Mon, June 8, 2026 • 1:00 pm ET
  • Atlantic Council Headquarters
  • 1400 L Street NW • Floor 11
  • Washington, DC 20005

The Atlantic Council—in partnership with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP)—hosts a conference on the future of US-ROK civil nuclear cooperation.

On Monday, June 8thfrom 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council—in partnership with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP)—is pleased to host a conference on the future of US-ROK civil nuclear cooperation.

The conference will address the ways in which the US-ROK civil nuclear relationship can move from industrial cooperation to a broader strategic partnership. The conference will focus on the evolving US-ROK civil nuclear partnership, the role of nuclear energy in energy security and providing clean, reliable power, and efforts to strengthen nuclear nonproliferation and governance of the fuel cycle. Audience members will hear from US and ROK government officials, as well as representatives of the US and ROK nuclear energy industries. 

To register for in-person attendance, please complete the registration form below.

Speakers

Agenda

12:00–1:00 p.m. | Registration

1:00–1:40 p.m. | Opening session

Featuring

Frederick Kempe
President and Chief Executive Officer
Atlantic Council

H.E. Hohyeon Lee
Vice Minister, Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment
Republic of Korea

The Hon. Charles Fleischmann
Representative (R-TN-03)
US House of Representatives

Hoechun Kim
President and Chief Executive Officer
Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP)

1:40–2:30 p.m. | Celebrating 70 years of the US-ROK civil nuclear partnership and the 123 Agreement

H.E. Hyoungzhin Kim
Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Korea

The Hon. Daniel Poneman
Distinguished Fellow, Global Energy Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council

Moderated by

The Hon. Joyce Connery
Former Chair
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

2:30–2:45 p.m. | Break 

Join us for a break.

2:45–3:50 p.m. | The role of nuclear energy in energy security amidst the changing global energy landscape

Featuring

Sungyeol Choi
Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
Seoul National University

Suzanne Jaworowski
Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources
State of Indiana

Hyeonsoo Kim
Director, Pittsburgh Office
Doosan Enerbility

Chris Levesque
President and Chief Executive Officer
TerraPower

Sarah Riedel
President and Chief Executive Officer
Urenco Inc.

Moderated by

Maria Korsnick
President and Chief Executive Officer
Nuclear Energy Institute

3:50–4:55 p.m. | Strengthening nuclear nonproliferation and fuel cycle governance

Featuring

The Hon. Thomas Countryman
Board Chairman
Arms Control Association

Alexander Hoppes
Vice President of Government Affairs
Orano USA

Youngjun Kim
Professor and Dean of School of Strategic Studies
Korea National Defense University

Kwang-Seok Lee
Principal Researcher, Nuclear Energy Policy Center
Seoul National University

Moderated by

The Hon. Corey Hinderstein
Vice President for Studies
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

4:55–5:00 p.m. | Closing remarks

Jennifer Gordon
Director, Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, Global Energy Center
Atlantic Council

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