This paper analyzes the socio-cultural, political and economic conditions prevalent during the inception of nuclear power programs in Japan and South Korea in order to identify commonalities which support nuclear power program expansion. The study identifies six factors as having a clear influence on supporting nuclear power development: (1) strong state involvement in guiding economic development, (2) centralization of national energy policymaking and planning: (3) campaigns to link technological progress with national revitalization, (4) influence of technocratic ideology on policy decisions: (5) subordination of challenges to political authority, and (6) low levels of civic activism. The paper postulates that insights from this study can be used to assess the propensity of nations which have the emergent capacity to support nuclear power development to actually embark on such programs. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.