Seoul: South Korea plans to host a biennial International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference on fusion energy in Seoul next year, the science ministry said Thursday. The Ministry of Science and ICT inked a Host Government Agreement with the IAEA virtually earlier in the day, naming South Korea as the host of the Fusion Energy Conference (FEC) 2027 in Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the 31st FEC, which will run from October 4-9, will bring together government delegations and experts from around 40 countries. Around 1,500 participants are expected to exchange the latest trends in the nuclear fusion energy industry. The ministry said the event will serve as a venue for global exchanges amid the accelerating development of nuclear fusion energy technologies, including commercialization, international collaboration and standard-setting efforts.

"The government, research institutions and businesses will thoroughly prepare for the event not only to ensure its successful hosting but to help South Korea emerge as a key partner in the global supply chain for the nuclear energy industry," the ministry said in a release. South Korea previously hosted the FEC in 2010 in the central city of Daejeon. The IAEA held the first FEC in 1961.