K-DEMO is South Korea's planned tokamak demonstration power plant, with government-approved top-tier requirements (2023) for more than 500 MWe peak electrical output. In 2026 the science ministry began design work on a 'Korean innovative fusion demonstration reactor' aiming to demonstrate fusion electricity in the 2030s, alongside a compact HTS pilot device.
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Current state
| Status | Concept |
| Country | South Korea |
| Developer | Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) / Ministry of Science and ICT |
| Developer type | Public |
| Concept | Tokamak |
| Fuel | D-T |
| Purpose | Demonstration |
| Target output (MWe) | 500 |
| Public funding | Korean government fusion R&D budget of 112.4 billion won in 2026 |
Notes
The 'innovative fusion demonstration reactor' may supersede the classic K-DEMO design; reference design net electric output was 329 MW in one scan. Compact pilot device (CPD) conceptual design 2026-2030, engineering design 2031-2035.
Timeline
- 2023 — The Korean government approved top-tier requirements for K-DEMO, including maximum electrical power above 500 MWe. (source)
- 2025-10-18 — KFE presented the K-DEMO reference design (R0=6.8 m, BT=6.5 T) and a compact pilot device plan at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference. (source)
- 2026-01-26 — The science ministry finalized its 2026 fusion R&D action plan, starting design work on a Korean innovative fusion demonstration reactor to bring power demonstration into the 2030s. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related projects
- ARC (Commonwealth Fusion Systems) Design · United States
- BEST (Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak) Under construction · China
- CFEDR / China Fusion Energy Co. demo reactor (successor to CFETR) Design · China
- EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Operating · China
- EU DEMO (EUROfusion Demonstration Power Plant) Concept · European Union
- FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Design · Japan
- HH170 (Energy Singularity) Design · China
- HH70 (Energy Singularity) Operating · China
See all 51 projects in the Fusion Energy Companies & Projects Tracker →
Sources
- Establishment and Progress of Korean Fusion Reactor Design Activities (IAEA FEC 2025) — Korea Institute of Fusion Energy / IAEA (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- South Korea Ramps Up Push for 2030s Fusion Power Demonstration — Dongascience, checked 2026-10-11