Construction of Moonmu Daewang Science Research Institute at Nuclear Research Institute Begins in Gyeongju... Anti-Nuclear Groups Oppose 'Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Complex' Statement

Anti-nuclear Group Condemns "Making Donggyeongju Area a 'Land of Exile Contaminated by Radiation'"

The groundbreaking ceremony of the Moonmu Daewang Science Research Institute at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute held on the 21st.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] As the Munmu Daewang Science Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute broke ground on the 21st in Gampo-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Province, anti-nuclear groups in the Gyeongju and Ulsan areas collectively raised their voices against the construction, calling it a 'spent nuclear fuel reprocessing complex.'

The Gyeongju Environmental Federation pointed out in a statement that "The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Gyeongbuk Province, and Gyeongju City have been closely hiding from Gyeongju citizens the fact that the innovation nuclear research complex (Munmu Daewang Science Research Institute) being promoted in Gampo-eup will ultimately become a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing complex."

Basic research on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing is currently being conducted at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, but according to the Gyeongju Environmental Federation, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been searching for a site for a second nuclear research complex because a larger-scale demonstration research facility is needed.

Spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, called pyroprocessing in Korea, is a process that crushes spent nuclear fuel to produce radioactive materials such as plutonium. Anti-nuclear groups emphasized that in this process, enormous amounts of radioactive materials are released in gaseous, liquid, and solid states, contaminating the surrounding environment with radiation.

The Anti-Nuclear Ulsan Citizens' Joint Action, composed of 57 civic groups in the Ulsan area, also issued a statement claiming, "Accidents inevitably occur at research facilities handling nuclear materials. The Daejeon Nuclear Research Institute discharged water containing radioactive cesium into urban streams for 30 years."

They added, "Gyeongju is densely packed with nuclear facilities (nuclear power plants, wet storage pools for high-level nuclear waste, dry storage facilities for high-level nuclear waste such as MACSTOR and canisters, and low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal sites), threatening the safety of not only Gyeongju citizens but also Ulsan citizens," and criticized, "Adding a research institute for demonstration projects here would turn the East Gyeongju (Yangnam, Yangbuk, Gampo) area into 'a land of exile contaminated by radiation.'"

Meanwhile, Gyeongbuk Province and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute plan to build 16 buildings, including six research base buildings, eight research support buildings, and two regional cooperation buildings, on 2.22 million square meters of land in Najung-ri and Daebon-ri, Gampo-eup, by 2025, investing 654 billion KRW. After completion, about 500 research personnel will work there.

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