Spent Nuclear Fuel Review Committee "Deep Regret Over Disruption of Storage Facility Expansion Briefing"

Nuclear Phase-Out Group Disruption Halts Gyeongju Area Briefing
"Request to Participate in Opinion Gathering Process Through Legal Procedures and Methods"

The photo shows the 'Press Conference Urging the Resolution for the Permanent Shutdown of Wolsong Unit 1' held just before the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's meeting to discuss the permanent shutdown of Wolsong Unit 1 on December 24 last year. It was hosted by the Anti-Nuclear Citizens' Action. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Recently, as the resident briefing session in Gyeongju for the public discussion on the expansion of the temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants faced disruption due to obstruction by some civic groups, the 'Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee' expressed deep regret.

According to the Review Committee and the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Regional Implementation Organization on the 1st, at the resident briefing session held on the afternoon of the 28th of last month at the Seorabeol Culture Center in Sajung-dong, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, members of the Gyeongju Environmental Movement Union and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeongju branch shouted opposition to the expansion of the MACSTOR temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and blocked the meeting.

Afterwards, although the event organizers and the Korean Hydro & Nuclear Power Union Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant branch appealed for the meeting to resume, the resident briefing session could not proceed any further and ended.

The Review Committee criticized, "The resident briefing session was held to provide necessary information about the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant temporary storage facility and the opinion collection procedures, and to listen to the opinions of local residents," adding, "The right to know of the participating Gyeongju citizens was unjustly infringed upon due to inappropriate physical obstruction by some groups."

They further stated, "The Review Committee, the Regional Implementation Organization, and Gyeongju City will continue to carry out procedures for collecting opinions from local residents, such as citizen participation surveys, without disruption," and "We will fully listen to various opinions during the opinion collection process."

They added, "As members of a mature civil society, we ask that you participate in the opinion collection process through lawful procedures and methods and express your opinions legitimately," and "We also urge many Gyeongju citizens to show interest and participate in the local opinion collection."

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