Chairperson Choi Won-ho of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on the 21st, regarding the full-fledged push to dismantle Kori Unit 1, said, "This is an important turning point in which Korea's radioactive waste management system enters a new stage," and emphasized, "The safe treatment and disposal of radioactive waste is the final stage of nuclear use, and a very important task whose impact will extend to our descendants for generations."
On this day, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission held a "Nuclear Safety Roundtable" at the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) in Yuseong District, Daejeon, together with organizations that generate and manage radioactive waste, to discuss ways to dispose of radioactive waste swiftly and safely.
The meeting was arranged in light of the recent acceleration of the Kori Unit 1 dismantlement and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD)'s phase-two disposal facility for radioactive waste, which is scheduled to begin operation next year.
Participating organizations stressed that, as various forms and large volumes of radioactive waste are expected to be generated as the Kori Unit 1 dismantlement proceeds, a regulatory system that can secure both safety and efficiency is important, and they asked for an active role and support from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in this regard.
Chairperson Choi said, "Please continue efforts to build a radioactive waste management system that the public can trust," adding, "The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will actively reflect on-the-ground opinions and create a reasonable and predictable regulatory environment so that safe and swift treatment and management of radioactive waste are possible."