Chairperson Choi Won-ho of the Nuclear Safety And Security Commission said on the 16th, "We will carry out our duties with vigilance so that we thoroughly protect the public and the environment from radiation risks and are prepared for any unforeseen situation."
Choi said this in opening remarks before the National Assembly Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee's audit, held at the Government Sejong Complex that day, noting, "The Nuclear Safety And Security Commission has made constant efforts to protect the public and the environment from radiation risks arising from the use of nuclear energy."
As the key policy directions for 2025, Choi presented: ▲ securing nuclear plant safety ▲ strengthening accident preparedness and response systems ▲ strengthening radiation safety management ▲ building a regulatory framework for next-generation reactors ▲ improving an efficient regulatory system.
Choi said, "To secure the safety of all domestic nuclear plants, we are conducting thorough checks across the full lifecycle of design, construction, operation, continued operation, and decommissioning," adding, "We are conducting a review for the continued operation of Kori Unit 2, and we are confirming safety for a total of 26 operating reactors through periodic inspections." She added, "We will continue on-site inspections so that Kori Unit 1, whose decommissioning plan was approved this year for the first time in Korea, can be safely decommissioned."
Choi said, "We are preparing so that we can respond effectively even in the unlikely event of an accident," adding, "We are pushing to apply accident management plans on site for four new reactors, and through the joint Hanul radiological emergency drill conducted in September, we checked the functions of the wide-area field command center for the first time."
She also presented measures to strengthen radiation safety management. Choi said, "To protect the health and safety of airline crew and radiation workers, we will improve exposure management measures and strengthen training," adding, "To reassure the public, we will conduct thorough monitoring of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant and the wastewater release from the Pyeongsan uranium refining facility."
She went on, "We are steadily preparing the regulatory framework for future reactors, including the development of a Korean small modular reactor (SMR)," adding, "We will complete the safety regulatory basis for licensing the standard design of the i-SMR and establish a regulatory framework in preparation for the development of non-light-water reactors."
In addition, she said, "We will improve the regulatory system so that we can efficiently ensure safety even with limited regulatory resources," adding, "We will deliver results under the mid- to long-term strategy for nuclear safety research and development, and we will gradually improve the regulatory regime under the Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste."
Choi emphasized, "Starting in 2027, we plan to introduce continuous inspections at all nuclear plants to verify safety on an ongoing basis even during operation," adding, "We will do our best to meet expectations for safe nuclear management."