GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) is set to lead a national R&D project for next-generation ‘laser fusion’ with a budget of 5.8 billion KRW.
GIST announced on the 10th that it has been selected for the ‘Laser Fusion Core Infrastructure Development Research’ project under the Ministry of Science and ICT’s ‘Fusion Plugin Program Project’.
This project aims to secure the core technology for laser fusion, an area gaining attention as a future clean energy technology, and will span 57 months from April 2026 to 2030. Unlike the ‘Tokamak’ approach, which is currently dominant in fusion research, laser fusion generates fusion energy through a different method. It involves using ultra-powerful lasers to target a small fuel target, creating an ultra-high-temperature and high-pressure environment in an instant to induce a fusion reaction.
GIST will receive a total of 5.8 billion KRW in research and development funding. As the main institution, GIST will collaborate with UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea University Sejong Campus, and Chosun University. Kim Hyung-taek, the chief researcher at GIST’s Advanced Photonics Research Institute and head of the Ultra-Powerful Laser Plasma Application Research Center, will lead the research.
Chief Researcher Kim stated, “This will serve as a significant opportunity to elevate domestic laser fusion research to the next level,” adding that “we will work closely with the joint research team to secure the core technology.”