South Korea's 1.16 trillion won multipurpose synchrotron gets official name: Korea Light Source

The Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) announced Tuesday that the official name of the multipurpose synchrotron being built in Ochang has been finalized as "Korea Light Source" (KLS), known in Korean as "한국새빛가속기." The facility is being built at a cost of 1.16 trillion won (approximately $759 million) and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2029.

The Korean name carries the meaning of "a new light illuminating the future of science and technology in Korea." The English designation, KLS, draws on the term "Light Source," which is widely used in the global synchrotron community, making it an intuitive and internationally recognizable name.

The new name will be used across all aspects of the construction project, including domestic and international outreach, research collaboration, academic activities and official documents.

Shin Seung-hwan, director of the Multipurpose Synchrotron Construction Project, said the naming process was "a meaningful journey of building a new identity and future vision for the facility together with public attention and participation." He added that the institute would do its utmost to ensure the successful completion of the project so that the Korea Light Source can become a world-class national research facility driving advances in basic science and cutting-edge industry.

Meanwhile, a synchrotron is a device that accelerates electrons to near the speed of light and deflects them using magnets, generating high-speed, high-brightness light across a broad spectrum — including ultraviolet and X-rays.

The Ochang facility is a fourth-generation circular synchrotron designed to produce light more than 100 times brighter than existing third-generation circular accelerators. It is expected to support a wide range of research, including semiconductor and display technology, new drug and vaccine development, and advanced materials research.