The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on the 17th briefed President Lee Jae-myung on its work plan at the Government Sejong Convention Center and said it will thoroughly conduct safety reviews for nine nuclear reactors seeking extended operation. It also announced plans to expand dedicated staffing and speed up the establishment of exclusive regulatory standards and systems in step with the accelerating development of small modular reactors (SMRs).
The commission will first strengthen safety verification for the nine reactors that have applied for extended operation. Based on its review experience approving the extended operation of Kori Units 2 in Nov., it said it will improve the systematization and consistency of future reviews while taking a deeper look at design and technical differences by reactor.
Chairperson Choi Won-ho said at a briefing that "reviews for Kori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2 are expected to be completed next year, followed by commission deliberations," adding, "however, the schedule may change during the deliberation process."
For Kori Unit 2, improved equipment will be checked on-site to confirm that it meets safety standards before restart. Director for Planning and Finance Choi Su-jin said, "Equipment inspections needed for operation are required before extended operation," and added, "According to the operator's plan, it is expected to take about six months."
Regarding the radiological environmental impact assessment, which drew criticism over ambiguous criteria during extended operation reviews, it said it will clarify by regulation the scope of accidents subject to assessment to reduce confusion. Reflecting complaints that it is hard to access materials for gathering resident opinions, it also plans to mandate providing plain-language explanatory documents that highlight the essentials.
On SMRs, it made clear it will proactively push to overhaul the regulatory framework. The commission will supplement the regulatory scope beyond the existing generation-focused framework to prepare for diverse SMR uses and will also work to prepare dedicated standards reflecting SMR characteristics.
The Chairperson said, "We will expand personnel dedicated to the SMR safety regulatory framework next year," adding, "We will further bolster staffing in consultation with relevant authorities to respond to growing demand." Safety Policy Division Chief Jang Hyun-a added, "We expect to officially announce an SMR regulatory roadmap early next year."
The commission said it will operate a discussion framework in which developers and researchers participate by reactor type and will push to establish, with a legal basis, a pre-application review system that allows the regulator to examine technical and safety issues even before a licensing application is filed.
The commission said it will verify emergency response capabilities through practical drills and inspections. It plans to conduct focused checks on the implementation of severe accident management plans and to improve on-site response capabilities by verifying role-specific training and whether mobile equipment is being operated. It will also reinforce disaster-preparedness systems for compound disasters such as earthquakes and continue building regional response hubs.
On introducing a spent nuclear fuel disposal facility, it proposed splitting construction and operation permits into phases to conduct in-depth safety reviews. In radiation monitoring, it said it will add radiation monitors at the Incheon Airport cargo terminal and further expand the automatic environmental radiation monitoring network to strengthen early detection.
The commission will also expand disclosure of regulatory information. It plans to provide transparent information on issues of interest such as extended operation and new reactors and to publish complex technical documents with explanatory materials to aid understanding. It will offer consolidated online access to information scattered across agencies and set up offline information-sharing centers around nuclear plants to strengthen ongoing communication with residents.
Chairperson Choi Won-ho said, "We will leave no gaps in verifying the safety of nuclear facilities based on science and technology and will thoroughly protect the public from radiation."