“Nuclear Safety Regulatory Technical Standards, Over 10,000 Pages, to Be Revised Under Nuclear Safety Act System”

Starting with Guidelines for Light-Water Reactor Plants
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Now Included in Review and Resolution
Chairperson Substitution Changed from "Seniority" to "Designation"

Choi Wonho, Chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, is discussing agenda items with commissioners at the 2026-4th Nuclear Safety and Security Commission meeting held on March 26 at the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's main conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2026.3.26. Nuclear Safety and Security Commission

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced that it received a report on the "Plan for Reorganizing the Regulatory Technical Standards System for Nuclear Safety Regulations" at the 2026-4th meeting held on March 26.

This plan aims to improve the current system so that the KINS regulatory guidelines and review guidelines, which the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) uses for safety reviews of nuclear facility licensing, will be managed under the legal framework of nuclear safety regulations.

Among the KINS guidelines, items that can be used as criteria for licensing decisions will be elevated to technical standards of the Commission (Commission rules and notifications), while the remaining content will be included in the "Commission Regulatory Guidelines" and the "KINS Manual."

To this end, the Commission will establish an administrative order to formalize the management system, including the procedures for establishing and revising the Commission's regulatory guidelines and the KINS Manual, as well as standards for public disclosure. In addition, a "Technical Standards Working Review Committee" will be operated under the Nuclear Safety Expert Committee to strengthen the review by external experts.

The Commission stated that, even before the regulatory system is reorganized, it will release the current KINS review guidelines through the Nuclear Safety Standards Integrated Management System, and the Commission's regulatory guidelines and KINS Manual will be released as soon as they are reorganized.

A total of 43 KINS guidelines, amounting to more than 10,000 pages, are subject to this reorganization. The Commission explained, "This year, we plan to begin with the reorganization of the regulatory and review guidelines for light water reactor nuclear power plants, which are the most widely used, totaling approximately 5,400 pages, and proceed step by step."

At the meeting, the Commission also approved a partial amendment to the rules on the operation of Commission meetings to include the construction and operation permits of nuclear fuel cycle facilities as items for deliberation and resolution. The amendment also adds research and educational reactors and radioactive waste management facilities to the list of facilities subject to deliberation and resolution on decommissioning and closure. This reflects revisions to the Nuclear Safety Act.

In addition, in response to the Legislative Office's opinion that the rule allowing the secretary-general to act on behalf of the chairman—and, if the secretary-general is unable to act, for the oldest commissioner to act—is potentially discriminatory, the rule was changed so that a commissioner designated in advance by the chairman will act as substitute if the chairman is unable to perform his or her duties.

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