(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. sign 23 MOUs on stronger ties in batteries, nuclear power, advanced industries

▲ This photo, provided by South Korea's Doosan Enerbility Co., shows Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang (2nd from L) posing for a photo with officials from Doosan, NuScale Power and the Export-Import Bank during the advanced industry and clean energy partnership event in Washington on April 25, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) S Korea-US-industry ties

(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. sign 23 MOUs on stronger ties in batteries, nuclear power, advanced industries

(ATTN: ADDS details of MOUs in paras 5-8; CHANGES photo)

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have signed 23 initial agreements to boost bilateral cooperation on advanced industries and energy fields, such as batteries, robots and nuclear power generation, Seoul's industry ministry said Wednesday.

The memorandums of understandings (MOUs) were signed during a business partnership event in Washington on Tuesday (local time) involving 45 senior corporate officials from the two nations on the sidelines of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the U.S., according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Of the agreements, 10 were on batteries, bio, aviation, robots, autonomous driving and other next-generation sectors, and the remaining 13 MOUs called for enhanced bilateral ties on energy industries, including hydrogen, nuclear power generation and carbon neutrality, it added.

Participating South Korean companies include Doosan Co., SK Inc., Lotte Chemical Corp. and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. From the U.S. side, Boeing, GE, ExxonMobil and Siemens attended the event, the ministry said.

In detail, Seoul's Korea Battery Industry Association and several other institutions signed an MOU with the U.S.' NATTBatt and agreed to conduct joint research and development regarding secondary batteries and boost technology and personnel exchanges.

Doosan and Doosan Robotics Inc. vowed to strengthen ties with the U.S.' Rockwell Automation on technology development and marketing for smart factory operation.

South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. and SK Innovation Co. signed an agreement with American nuclear engineering firm TerraPower to jointly push for a project for the construction and operation of fourth-generation small modular reactors.

In the clean energy sector, Korea Electric Power Corp. and GE agreed upon stronger cooperation on development of technologies for hydrogen, ammonia and other renewable energy, according to the ministry.

"The South Korea-U.S. alliance has gone beyond the traditional military and security alliance to become a technology alliance," Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang said. "We hope these agreements will create big results, and the South Korean government will actively support corporate activities."

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