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Nuclear Silk Road: Koreanization of Nuclear Power Technology Paperback – 5 August 2011
by Kim Byung-Koo (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
The news out of Abu Dhabi on Dec. 27, 2009 was the direct motivation to write this book. South Korean consortium has just won the largest single nuclear power plant construction project in recent years to deliver four state-of-the-art Generation III pressurized water reactors to the United Arab Emirates. This book will bring to life the agonizing process of pursuing peaceful nuclear energy in South Korea during the last half-century for the "Atoms for Peace" dream from a poor developing country. Particular focus is placed on the localization process of nuclear power technology since 1980 from an insider's view. This case study on the Korean nuclear power technology could shed some light for other nations as they enter the brave new world of nuclear renaissance. Once on the Silk Road countries like China, India, UAE and Turkey show the most active nuclear power programs together with Japan and Korea today. After all, history repeats itself as new technologies transfer through
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Product description
About the Author
Kim Byung-koo ("BK") studied at the Seoul National University and the University of Michigan before receiving his doctorate in applied mechanics from the California Institute of Technology. Upon graduation, Dr. Kim worked as a test engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California until he returned to Korea when the country was embarking on its first nuclear power project. He served as the project manager of the nation's first nuclear power reactor system design project at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in the 1980s. He then served as a Director of Technical Cooperation at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, assisting many developing countries to promote their peaceful uses of nuclear energy. After retirement, he currently lives in Daejeon, Korea. Nuclear Silk Road is his first book.
Product details
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform (5 August 2011)
Language : English
Paperback : 306 pages
ISBN-10 : 1456422588
ISBN-13 : 978-1456422585
Dimensions : 15.24 x 1.93 x 22.86 cmCustomer Reviews:
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
Top reviews from other countries
Bongani Motsa
4.0 out of 5 stars A book for developing countries aiming for first world statusReviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2015
Verified Purchase
This book lays out the difference between countries that are perpetually stuck in the developmental stage and those that pull themselves out of poverty. Having selfless leaders; education; collaborating with other countries; setting up institutions; thorough record keeping; and ensuring knowledge and technological transfer, are among some of the ingredients.
Report
Robert S Margolis
5.0 out of 5 stars An Inside View of South Korea's Nuclear Power DevelopmentReviewed in the United States on 15 September 2011
Verified Purchase
First, a disclaimer, I worked as a startup test engineer on the Yonggwang 3/4 project that is described in the book. That said, I found this book a good historical narrative on South Korea's nuclear power program and a firsthand account of the first technology transfer projects which built the infrastructure that Korea would use to both build its nuclear industry and to win the UAE nuclear power contract. Many of those involved in those first projects such as Yonggwang 3/4 remain in the leadership of the nuclear profession and provide their expertise to countries such as China and the UAE.
The major strength of this book is that it is written for the layperson rather than being an academic treatise or policy exposition. It is quite readable and easy to follow. I fully agree with Dr. Kim in that the successes of the Korean nuclear power prgram were the result less of genius than of simple "elbow grease". This book provides a useful and straightforward introduction to nuclear development in South Korea and is valuable to anyone studying how developing countries can develop their nuclear power industries.
Report
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https://dev.ans.org/news/article-830/a-study-in-nuclear-success-a-review-of-nuclear-silk-road-the-koreanization-of-nuclear-power-technology-by-dr-kim-byung-koo/
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A Study in Nuclear Success, A Review of “Nuclear Silk Road: The ‘Koreanization’ of Nuclear Power Technology”
Thu, Oct 13, 2011, 9:30PM
https://dev.ans.org/news/article-830/a-study-in-nuclear-success-a-review-of-nuclear-silk-road-the-koreanization-of-nuclear-power-technology-by-dr-kim-byung-koo/
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A Study in Nuclear Success, A Review of “Nuclear Silk Road: The ‘Koreanization’ of Nuclear Power Technology”
Thu, Oct 13, 2011, 9:30PM
Robert Margolis
As part of the team that supported the startup of Yonggwang-3 and -4 (South Korea's first nuclear units, built in a technology transfer program with Combustion Engineering), I thought it long overdue to see a book that chronicled South Korea's journey from an impoverished nation to one of the world's leading players in the nuclear industry (e.g., South Korea has 21 operating reactors versus Germany's 17).
The book, "Nuclear Silk Road," is an effective historical narrative on South Korea's nuclear power program that combines official reports, pertinent interviews, and personal recollections with a focus on the country's technology transfer program with Combustion Engineering (now a part of Westinghouse).
The author, Dr. B. K. Kim, a former project manager for the Yonggwang-3 and -4 system design, invokes the metaphor of the Silk Road, which brought commerce across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, as the majority of nuclear new build is geographically situated along this same historic pathway.
Kim
Kim's book is divided in two parts. Part 1 describes the political challenges in establishing the policies and organizations required to construct and operate nuclear energy facilities. This description includes the decisions of South Korea's first presidents and the country's key nuclear pioneers. Nuclear industry veterans will enjoy Kim's depiction of a semi-surreptitious nightshift measurement of new fuel assemblies at Wolsong in 1981 (often, the interesting events occur on nightshift).
Part 2 chronicles how these organizations evolved from being a receiver and operator of foreign turnkey reactor projects to that of a national industry that could independently design, construct, and operate nuclear power plants. The country's domestic industry then went global with the recent sale of four nuclear plants to the UAE (Braka Units 1 through 4) and the sale of a research reactor to Jordan. Kim details how South Korea was able to capitalize on the Chernobyl accident to negotiate a comprehensive technology transfer arrangement for the Yonggwang-3 and -4 plants. He discusses many of the primary Korean nuclear experts involved, and even provided interesting anecdotes such as how the first group of Koreans sent to Combustion Engineering in Windsor, Conn., were given one-way plane tickets.
A major strength of this book is that it is written as a basic narrative rather than an academic treatise or policy exposition. It is readable and easy to follow. My own experience on the Yonggwang-3 and -4 project matched Kim's contention that the successes of the South Korean nuclear power program were the result less of genius than of simple "elbow grease." Several places in the book describe the long hours worked and the dedication of the engineers, policymakers, operators, and craftsmen who navigated through the crucial points where the South Korean nuclear program might have foundered. The nuclear industry is well-known for its continual thirst for operating experience (OE) on events that have challenged equipment and personnel resulting in unexpected issues.
Kim's book also provides important OE. In this case, it is the experience of how dedication, hard work, and ability to see otherwise hidden opportunity can be leveraged to develop a successful nuclear power program. These lessons continue to be valuable as the nuclear profession charts a way forward across the globe in this new century.
_____________
Robert Margolis, PE is a nuclear engineer with more than 24 years of experience as a reactor engineer, startup test engineer, project engineer, and safety analyst. Margolis supported the Yonggwang-3 and -4 startup from 1993 through 1996.
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As part of the team that supported the startup of Yonggwang-3 and -4 (South Korea's first nuclear units, built in a technology transfer program with Combustion Engineering), I thought it long overdue to see a book that chronicled South Korea's journey from an impoverished nation to one of the world's leading players in the nuclear industry (e.g., South Korea has 21 operating reactors versus Germany's 17).The book, "Nuclear Silk Road," is an effective historical narrative on South Korea's nuclear power program that combines official reports, pertinent interviews, and personal recollections with a focus on the country's technology transfer program with Combustion Engineering (now a part of Westinghouse).
The author, Dr. B. K. Kim, a former project manager for the Yonggwang-3 and -4 system design, invokes the metaphor of the Silk Road, which brought commerce across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, as the majority of nuclear new build is geographically situated along this same historic pathway.
Kim
Kim's book is divided in two parts. Part 1 describes the political challenges in establishing the policies and organizations required to construct and operate nuclear energy facilities. This description includes the decisions of South Korea's first presidents and the country's key nuclear pioneers. Nuclear industry veterans will enjoy Kim's depiction of a semi-surreptitious nightshift measurement of new fuel assemblies at Wolsong in 1981 (often, the interesting events occur on nightshift).
Part 2 chronicles how these organizations evolved from being a receiver and operator of foreign turnkey reactor projects to that of a national industry that could independently design, construct, and operate nuclear power plants. The country's domestic industry then went global with the recent sale of four nuclear plants to the UAE (Braka Units 1 through 4) and the sale of a research reactor to Jordan. Kim details how South Korea was able to capitalize on the Chernobyl accident to negotiate a comprehensive technology transfer arrangement for the Yonggwang-3 and -4 plants. He discusses many of the primary Korean nuclear experts involved, and even provided interesting anecdotes such as how the first group of Koreans sent to Combustion Engineering in Windsor, Conn., were given one-way plane tickets.
A major strength of this book is that it is written as a basic narrative rather than an academic treatise or policy exposition. It is readable and easy to follow. My own experience on the Yonggwang-3 and -4 project matched Kim's contention that the successes of the South Korean nuclear power program were the result less of genius than of simple "elbow grease." Several places in the book describe the long hours worked and the dedication of the engineers, policymakers, operators, and craftsmen who navigated through the crucial points where the South Korean nuclear program might have foundered. The nuclear industry is well-known for its continual thirst for operating experience (OE) on events that have challenged equipment and personnel resulting in unexpected issues.
Kim's book also provides important OE. In this case, it is the experience of how dedication, hard work, and ability to see otherwise hidden opportunity can be leveraged to develop a successful nuclear power program. These lessons continue to be valuable as the nuclear profession charts a way forward across the globe in this new century.
_____________
Robert Margolis, PE is a nuclear engineer with more than 24 years of experience as a reactor engineer, startup test engineer, project engineer, and safety analyst. Margolis supported the Yonggwang-3 and -4 startup from 1993 through 1996.===
https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/nuclear-silk-road/
Nuclear Silk Road
Koreanization of Nuclear Power Technology
Kim Byung-koo
CreateSpace
978-1-4564-2258-5
Clarion Rating: 3 out of 5
It takes an odd sort of courage to state that the tragic Chernobyl accident of 1986 “turned out to be a blessing for Korea.” But that is what nuclear engineer and author Dr. Kim Byung-koo does in this book about his country’s rise to prominence in the controversial nuclear power industry.
Byung-koo knows what he is writing about because he was present for much of the history he is relating. When “BK,” as the author likes to be called, mentions a dizzying myriad of names, he is not simply giving readers a litany of the players who created and continue to advance Korea’s nuclear power industry, he is also sharing the contents of his address book. These politicians, scientists, bureaucrats, professors, and corporate executives are more than names—they are BK’s bosses, benefactors, mentors, colleagues, and in many cases, friends.
Much of Nuclear Silk Road reads like congratulatory homage from a mutual-admiration society, yet to dismiss it as such would be unfair. BK is immensely proud of what he and his comrades have accomplished, and, as he explains in great detail, they have every right to be.
The Republic of Korea is one of the premier designers, builders, and exporters of nuclear power plants. The path it took to get there, writes the author, is a “shining example of how an inexperienced but well motivated and educated” people overcame great hardship. BK says he hopes to not only “demystify” what some call “a miracle story,” but also to offer hope and provide a blueprint for “other developing countries with nuclear power ambitions” that he believes “could benefit from the Korean lessons.”
Parts of this book are good, solid, by-the-numbers, history. The who, what, why, where, when, and how of Korea’s progress from war-ravaged backwater to economic powerhouse is clearly presented. There are heroes and villains aplenty, and these sections are organized and explained in a simple and concise manner. However, there are chapters that are decipherable only to readers already thoroughly versed in the topic and familiar with the mind-boggling acronyms of the organizations involved.
Fortunately for the lay reader, the author can also write for a more general audience when he chooses to do so, and it is in these sections the book truly shines. When BK explains how Korea took advantage of the “nuclear dark age” that arose in reaction to the Chernobyl accident, he does so with honesty and candor. He admits it is “ironic that the Korean nuclear power technology owes a lot to the Chernobyl accident,” yet also notes quite jauntily that this is “a classical example of turning crisis into opportunity.”
Overall, the book’s positive attributes outweigh its weak points. Dr. Kim Byung-koo has done his colleagues, his country, and the world a service in providing a candid insider’s view of the rise of the Korean nuclear power industry.
Reviewed by Mark G. McLaughlin
October 11, 2011
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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