Increased Possibility of Delay in Wolsong MACSTOR Expansion Discussions... Government Says "No Problem"

Expansion Deliberation Process, 150 Citizen Participants OT on 27th
'July Conclusion - August Expansion' Needed to Prevent Wolsong Units 2-4 Shutdown
Wolsong Units 2-4 Produce 21.9% of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Electricity
"Low Social Acceptance and Changing Government Undermine Trust," Criticism

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The facility must be built, but the chairman has stepped down, and conflicts among local residents are escalating. The government's leadership, which should guide the discussions, is faint. If the expansion of the temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (MACSTOR) at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju does not begin within two months, Units 2 to 4 of Wolseong may have to stop operating. Without expansion, there will be no suitable place to store the spent nuclear fuel. The government explains that the 'deliberation process' related to the 'July conclusion - August expansion' can proceed smoothly.

"Include the anti-nuclear camp in the Review Committee"

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee on the 27th, former chairman Jeong Jeong-hwa held a resignation press conference at a restaurant in Seoul the day before, claiming that "public deliberation should be stopped." He pointed out many problems with the committee's composition and the deliberation process. Two former executives of the Korean Conflict Studies Association, who had recommended Jeong as a member of the Review Committee, attended the press conference.

Former chairman Jeong said, "Public deliberation without the anti-nuclear camp is a tilted playing field," and "the current Review Committee should be disbanded and newly formed." The Review Committee gathers citizens' opinions on how to handle spent nuclear fuel generated while operating nuclear power plants. The government scrapped the 'Basic Plan for High-Level Radioactive Waste Management' in May last year and launched the Review Committee. The committee started with 15 members last year, but two resigned and two were long-term absent, so effectively, including Chairman Jeong, 11 members have attended meetings so far.

On the 2nd, members of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements performed a demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urging opposition to the additional construction of a temporary nuclear waste storage facility at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The expansion is urgent, but the discussion process is sluggish. There are suggestions that the Review Committee members may change, and claims that the organizational structure should be revised to increase responsibility and authority.

According to former chairman Jeong, at the Review Committee meeting on the 24th, six out of nine attending members expressed the opinion that "the process should continue as is." The remaining three, including Jeong, voted against it.

Former chairman Jeong said, "I understand that the other two who shared my opinion are also considering resignation," and argued, "It should be operated under a body directly under the President or the Prime Minister, not the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, to guarantee neutrality and fairness." The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy rebutted, saying, "According to the Radioactive Waste Management Act, the committee's functions and activity period are under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy."

Government: "The deliberation process cannot be delayed any longer"

The government stated that the Review Committee is currently composed of neutral experts and that the deliberation process cannot be postponed. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in explanatory materials the day before, "To perform the role of a fair opinion-gathering management body, the committee was composed of neutral experts, referring to the public deliberation case of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6."

The ministry pointed out, "We hope that the anti-nuclear civil society actively participates in the public deliberation," and criticized, "Emphasizing the importance of public deliberation but refusing to participate in the process and claiming unfairness outside the discussion hall is self-contradictory." Anti-nuclear civil society groups have so far refused to participate in the discussions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to re-elect the chairman according to the committee's operating regulations and continue the public deliberation discussions. They emphasize the need to prevent any disruption in decision-making. The ministry said, "Since the citizen participation group composition and deliberation procedures are already underway according to the principles decided by the committee, the opinion-gathering process will proceed without disruption." Former chairman Jeong questioned, "Having resigned over fairness issues, who among the remaining members would dare to become chairman?" and "Even if the public deliberation proceeds under the current system, will the public accept it?"

On the 21st of last month, the Review Committee analyzed that "MACSTOR is expected to reach full capacity by March 2022." According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), the canisters for storing spent nuclear fuel are currently 100% full, and MACSTOR is 95.4% full. The expansion work takes 19 months. This is why the government and KHNP argue that expansion must begin by August at the latest. If the MACSTOR expansion is delayed due to prolonged discussions, in the worst case, Units 2 to 4 of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant may have to stop. Units 2 to 4 of Wolseong generate 21.9% of the electricity consumption in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions (based on last year).

Persistent local conflicts... discussions remain in a fog

Public deliberation has often been sluggish, with public hearings postponed three times due to opposition from local residents. The perspectives among residents, civic groups, and other stakeholders remain far apart. With the Review Committee also facing disruption, a red light has been turned on for the MACSTOR expansion discussions at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant.

Accordingly, the government is considering skipping the resident briefing sessions and moving directly to the next step, the 'deliberation process.' They believe that starting the deliberation process by the end of this month at the latest will make it possible to begin MACSTOR construction in August.

A press conference held by the Nuclear Workers' Union Solidarity in front of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, last November to oppose the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The deliberation process starts with an orientation on the day and involves 150 citizen participants discussing for four weeks. Earlier, on the 22nd, the Wolseong Regional Implementation Organization and the Korea Management Consulting Association selected 165 citizen participants for the deliberation process by lottery at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Private Environmental Monitoring Center in Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju. Among them, 15 are alternates.

Before that, the association conducted a survey targeting 2,000 people in East Gyeongju and 1,000 people in other areas, selecting 722 participants. The target included 122 from Gampo-eup, 79 from Yangbuk-myeon, 259 from Yangnam-myeon, totaling 460 from East Gyeongju, and 262 from other regions.

In December last year, the Anti-Nuclear Citizens' Action held a press conference urging the resolution for the permanent shutdown of Wolsong Unit 1. They argue that the issue of spent nuclear fuel storage facilities cannot be considered without keeping 'denuclearization' in mind.
(Photo by Yonhap News)

Will the government’s plan for 'July conclusion - August expansion' be possible?

The Regional Implementation Organization will hold an orientation for the final 150 selected participants starting today. After individual self-study by the citizen participants, a two-day comprehensive discussion will be held on the 18th and 19th, followed by a result briefing session between the 25th and 28th of the same month. Opinion gathering will be conducted by synthesizing the initial survey's pro and con opinions and changes observed until the end of the deliberation process. The opinion-gathering results will then be reported to the Review Committee.

If the pro-expansion side prevails, the Review Committee will submit a recommendation regarding MACSTOR expansion to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The process will then proceed through government construction notification and other stages.

Where is the leadership? Image of Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Meanwhile, the government is also conducting public deliberation on the construction of 'interim storage facilities and permanent disposal facilities' for medium- and long-term management of spent nuclear waste, based on opinions gathered from 549 citizen participants. Whether to concentrate or disperse the construction of interim storage facilities has also emerged as an issue.

The energy industry criticizes that social acceptance is low regarding facility construction, and that principles change every time the government changes, resulting in a lack of public trust.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.