High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee Established... Accelerating Repository Site Selection

High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act to Take Effect on the 26th
Special Grants for Areas Within 5km of Repository Sites
Support Measures for Residents Near On-Site Storage Facilities
Management Committee May Transition to Central Administrative Agency

A canister of the dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant. Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. via Yonhap News Agency

The Special Act on the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste (High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act) will come into effect on September 26. The government plans to accelerate the process of securing a site for a high-level radioactive waste repository by establishing a new High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Cabinet meeting held on September 16 approved both the enforcement decree for the High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act and the enforcement decree for the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee.

The enforcement decree stipulates matters delegated by the Special Act, including the establishment of a basic plan for high-level radioactive waste management, site investigation, selection and support for host regions of management facilities, and the collection of opinions and support for areas surrounding spent nuclear fuel storage facilities within nuclear power plant sites. The Ministry finalized the enforcement decree after collecting opinions through legislative notice and explanatory sessions in nuclear power plant regions, followed by a review by the Ministry of Government Legislation.

The basic plan for high-level radioactive waste will be established every five years, covering a 30-year period. The site for the high-level radioactive waste management facility (repository) will be selected through a process that includes open calls for applications from local governments, site investigations, and local referendums. A support plan, including special grants, will be established for the host region and its surrounding areas.

The scope of the surrounding area is defined as cities, counties, or districts that have jurisdiction over land and islands within 5 kilometers of the management facility site boundary. If there is more than one jurisdiction, the special grants will be distributed based on factors such as area and population.

For spent nuclear fuel storage facilities within nuclear power plant sites (on-site storage facilities), the scope of the surrounding area eligible for opinion collection and support is also set as cities, counties, or districts that have jurisdiction over land and islands within 5 kilometers of the storage facility installation site. If there is more than one jurisdiction, the grants will be distributed based on area and population.

Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Procedures. Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

To secure a high-level radioactive waste repository, a management committee under the Office for Government Policy Coordination will also be established. Within its five-year term, the committee will consider transitioning to a central administrative agency as defined by the Government Organization Act. The committee will consist of nine members, including one chairperson and one standing member. The secretariat will include one secretary general and three departments: Planning & Communication, Site Selection, and Infrastructure Development. The committee will have a staff of 35. A Host Region Support Committee (chaired by the Prime Minister) will also be established to provide support to host regions.

Currently, spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste are temporarily stored in on-site storage facilities at nuclear power plants. These temporary storage facilities are expected to reach capacity sequentially: Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in 2030, Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in 2031, and Kori Nuclear Power Plant in 2032, making the construction of a high-level radioactive waste repository urgent. The government has attempted to select a site for the repository nine times, but all attempts have failed.

There are two types of temporary storage methods within nuclear power plants: wet storage and dry storage. Wet storage involves storing spent nuclear fuel in pools, where water serves as both a coolant and a radiation shield. Dry storage involves placing spent nuclear fuel in metal or concrete containers, which provide radiation shielding, and allowing it to cool naturally.

With the implementation of the High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act, the establishment of dedicated organizations and compensation measures is expected to accelerate the process of securing interim storage and permanent disposal sites.

Interim storage facilities are designed to manage high-level radioactive waste for a certain period before permanent disposal, reducing heat and radioactivity. In contrast, disposal facilities are intended to permanently isolate high-level radioactive waste from human living environments by storing it in stable geological formations deep underground (about 500 meters or more).

The government aims to operate an interim storage facility by 2050 and a permanent disposal facility by 2060.

The High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act also mandates that when installing dry storage facilities within nuclear power plant sites, opinions from the local community must be collected and support measures established. In addition, when an interim storage facility is completed, spent nuclear fuel stored on-site must be immediately removed, and spent nuclear fuel from other nuclear power plants may not be brought into the on-site storage facility.

The Special Act also requires the construction of an underground research laboratory (URL) to develop and demonstrate the technologies needed for the construction and operation of disposal facilities. Korea Radioactive Waste Agency selected Taebaek City as the site for a research underground facility at the end of 2024.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "Finland is scheduled to operate the world's first high-level radioactive waste repository in 2026, while Sweden and France have also selected sites and are proceeding with follow-up procedures. With the smooth implementation of the Special Act on the 26th, we have taken the first step toward securing a high-level radioactive waste repository through scientific and democratic procedures."

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