South Korea Opens Home-Grown Nuclear Reactor in Jordan

South Korea has completed the construction of a nuclear research reactor in Jordan to operate its first home-grown nuclear plant in the Middle Eastern country, the South Korean government said Wednesday. 
The South Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said a groundbreaking ceremony for Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) was held at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan's second-largest city, according to (Yonhap) news agency. 
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Daewoo Engineering & Construction formed a consortium in 2009 to build the 5-megawatt facility for US$160 million. 
JRTR will be used to develop medical and industrial radioisotopes and new materials, the ministry said. 
In light of the deal, South Korea and Jordan agreed to cooperate in nuclear reactor operations and staff training in the next two years, it said. 
"We will support the safe and efficient operation of JRTR and make efforts to become a trustworthy partner for Jordan's science development," South Korean Science Minister Choi Yang-hee said during the ceremony.

Source: QNA