Korean Energy Economic Review ISSN:1599-7057(Print) 에너지경제연구

As Korea Electric Power Cooperation(KEPCO) successfully won nuclear power plant construction deals in the UAE in December 2009, Korea has become the sixth nuclear power plant exporter in the world. The UAE project is the first of its kind in the Middle East since the Bushehr plant project in Iran, putting Korea in the leading position in the nuclear industry in the Middle East. This study conducts theoretical examination as to how the first-mover advantage is influenced by the demand uncertainties and the cost gaps, It also carries out an empirical analysis on the effects of the first-mover advantage based on the relevant data in nuclear power plant construction sector for the past 60 years. The research findings of this study suggest that the first-mover advantage does have meaningful influences. This implies that the Korea’s nuclear industry should redouble its efforts to fully utilize the first-mover advantage so as to win further nuclear plant construction deals in the Middle East in the future.