Overview of recent KSTAR experimental results*

Recent KSTAR experiments have been directed toward resolving ITER critical issues and physics understanding for extrapolation to future devices. The key parameters including shape and collisionality were clarified for ELM-crash suppression with Resonant Magnetic Perturbation and the predictability of the physical model is validated through the inter-machine comparison among KSTAR/DIII-D/AUG tokamaks. The contrasting influences of non-axisymmetric field is documented on L-H transition power threshold and its ITER projection. With the new off-axis NBI (~1.5 MW) and ECH (~1 MW) systems, the steady-state operation window is extended above no-wall limit and the confinement degradation of fast ions via Alfven eigen-modes is estimated quantitatively using TRANSP. The dynamics by Edge Harmonic Oscillation is investigated for edge transport regularization. The avalanche-like electron heat transport is discovered and turbulence structure near magnetic island is simulated and compared with 2D measurements in L-mode discharges. Finally, the impact of the real-time wall condition is documented for performance sustainment in stationary long-pulse plasmas.