President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to revive the nuclear power industry and turn it into a key export sector.

Yoon's remarks were read by energy minister Lee Chang-yang on Wednesday at a ceremony celebrating the launch of full-scale operations at the Shin Hanul One nuclear reactor in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday.

The president declared 2022 as the first year of revival of the nation’s nuclear power industry and vowed to double the government's support next year for industry-related jobs, research and development and financing from this year's level of around one trillion won.

He added that the government will turn the nuclear power industry into a leading pillar of exports and actively provide support to enable the country to reclaim its status as a global nuclear energy powerhouse.

The changing attitude toward nuclear energy is a reversal from the previous administration's phase-out policy, one that Yoon pledged to scrap during his campaign.

The Shin Hanul One reactor, the 27th nuclear power plant in the country, finally commenced operations after 12 years on Wednesday, some five years after its initially scheduled start date.