How Far Has the Permanent Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Progressed... Loss of Momentum if the Special Act Drifts

'Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Special Act' Pending in National Assembly... Expectation for Passage Within the Year
Key Issue is 'Continued Operation'... Uncertain Cooperation from Democratic Party
If Delayed Until Next Year, Momentum Lost... Burden Ahead of General Election

A view looking up at the ceiling of a cave-type radioactive waste disposal facility (RWDF) silo located in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. One silo, 130 meters underground, can accommodate 16,500 drums of radioactive waste, each holding 200 liters.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Although the government is accelerating efforts to secure a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility, concerns are growing that momentum could be lost if a special law is not passed in the National Assembly. Without a legal basis for establishing the disposal facility, research and development (R&D) to secure waste management technology will inevitably face setbacks.

According to related ministries on the 26th, there are two special laws related to the disposal facility currently pending in the National Assembly, both proposed by the ruling party. Among them, the bill prepared through consultations with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other related ministries is the “Special Act on the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste and Support for Hosting Areas (Disposal Facility Special Act),” proposed by Lee In-seon, a member of the People Power Party, in August this year. Another special law proposed by Kim Young-sik of the People Power Party in the same month specifies the target year for securing a permanent disposal facility as 2050, nearly ten years earlier than the government’s roadmap aiming for around 2060.

The government’s goal is to pass Lee’s bill within this year. If the special law is passed during this year’s regular session of the National Assembly, the process of securing the disposal facility can be accelerated starting next year. According to the “2nd Basic Plan for High-Level Radioactive Waste Management” announced by the government at the end of last year, it takes 37 years from site selection to the completion of the permanent disposal facility. Even if the special law is enacted early next year and site selection begins immediately, the permanent disposal facility can only be secured by 2060.

Cooperation from the Democratic Party Essential

The problem arises if the opposition party opposes the bill. In a situation where the ruling party holds fewer seats than the opposition, failure to gain cooperation from the opposition will inevitably disrupt the government’s plans. Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has made it clear that it cannot proceed with the disposal facility construction without a special law. The ministry has repeatedly expressed its intention to secure the disposal facility only after establishing a legal basis such as a special law. This stance is a result of the difficulties faced during the Moon Jae-in administration’s nuclear phase-out policy, including controversies such as the manipulation of the economic feasibility of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant and pressure on heads of affiliated agencies to resign.

The ministry is optimistic about the possibility of the special law being passed within this year. Originally, the Democratic Party had proposed a special law on the disposal facility even before the ruling party last year. This indicates that the Democratic Party also recognizes the importance of a permanent disposal facility, given that the saturation rate of spent nuclear fuel within nuclear power plants has reached a critical point.

The key issue is whether nuclear power plants will continue to operate. All bills proposed by the ruling party are based on the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s policy of strengthening nuclear power. In contrast, the Democratic Party’s bill is designed based on the previous administration’s nuclear phase-out policy. The Democratic Party’s bill defines the timing of waste generation as “the design life period of currently constructed and operating nuclear power plants.” According to this bill, the core policy of the current administration?continued operation of nuclear power plants?would be practically impossible.

A cave-type radioactive waste disposal silo located in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk.
Photo by Lee Jun-hyung

Rapidly Cooling Political Climate Also a Variable

The rapidly cooling political climate is also a variable. The Democratic Party criticized the government’s willingness to cooperate and, on the 25th, for the first time in constitutional history, completely boycotted the president’s policy speech. In such a situation, the likelihood of the opposition cooperating with a special law reflecting the core policies of the current administration is considered low.

If the special law fails to pass the National Assembly within this year, concerns are emerging that the government may lose momentum. From the ruling party’s perspective, if the enactment of the special law is postponed until next year ahead of the general election, it will be politically burdensome to continue pushing sensitive issues related to the disposal facility. Since dry storage facilities for temporarily storing spent nuclear fuel are being newly constructed not only at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant but also at Hanbit and Hanul Nuclear Power Plants, the government’s determination to secure a disposal facility may weaken.

There are also concerns that the delay in enacting the special law will cause the disposal facility technology to fall behind. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, South Korea’s high-level radioactive waste disposal technology is only 57.4% of that of leading countries such as Sweden and Finland. The technological gap with Finland, which secured the world’s first permanent disposal facility, is 8.7 years.

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