Simple currents and extensions of vertex operator algebras

We consider how a vertex operator algebra can be extended to an abelian intertwining algebra by a family of weak twisted modules which are {\em simple currents} associated with semisimple weight one primary vectors. In the case that the extension is again a vertex operator algebra, the rationality of the extended algebra is discussed. These results are applied to affine Kac-Moody algebras in order to construct all the simple currents explicitly (except for $E_8$) and to get various extensions of the vertex operator algebras associated with integrable representations.