High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository: Public Acceptance Is Key... "The Government Will Take Responsibility for Local Economy and Livelihoods" [Digging Energy]

Specialist Report
Interview with Hyunkwon Kim, First Chairman of the High-level Radioactive Waste Committee
"Guaranteeing Reversibility in Waste Disposal Site Bidding"
"Managing Special Support Funds through a Public Interest Foundation"
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Hyun Kwon Kim, Chairman of the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the Seoktanhoe Building in Jongno, Seoul. 2026.4.17 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

"The government will take responsibility for the economy of the region and the livelihoods of residents where a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility is to be constructed."

On April 17, at his office in the Seoktanhoe Building in Jongno, Seoul, Hyun Kwon Kim, Chairman of the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, gave this answer when asked about his strategy for securing public acceptance during the site selection process for the high-level radioactive waste disposal facility.

Chairman Kim specifically stated that he would consider establishing a public interest corporation to ensure that the special support funds provided to the host area truly reflect the will of the residents. He also presented a plan to guarantee reversibility, allowing applications for site hosting to be withdrawn even after submission.

Since 1983, South Korea has attempted nine times to select a site for a permanent high-level radioactive waste disposal facility, but has failed each time. This was due not to technical problems, but rather to issues of social consensus and trust in government policy. In the meantime, the wet storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants have reached full capacity. Constructing a permanent repository deep underground for spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste has become a task that must be solved for the stable supply of domestic energy and for future generations.

Fortunately, in February last year, the Special Act on the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste was passed by the National Assembly after difficult negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties. As a result, regulations on the safe management of high-level radioactive waste, site selection, and support for host regions have been established.

The High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee was established in October last year under this special act, with former National Assembly member Hyun Kwon Kim appointed as its first chairman. The committee completed its nine-member structure on April 8 by appointing four National Assembly-recommended members. We sat down with Chairman Kim to hear about the committee's future plans.

-It seems the four National Assembly-recommended members have very different backgrounds and views.

▲When exploring uncharted territory, the sentinels at the front look in different directions to ensure safety. Even when crossing a raging river, people hold hands in opposing directions to avoid falling. In the process of building a high-level radioactive waste facility, which is something we have never experienced, it is important to bring together people with different perspectives and interests to reduce the risks that may arise. I see my role as guaranteeing and supporting the activities of each member.

-Now that the committee is fully formed, do you expect things to move faster?

▲There are two major tasks that require urgency. One is to visualize the procedures related to the selection of a permanent disposal site. The other is to find practical solutions for the spent nuclear fuel that is reaching full capacity at existing nuclear power plant sites.

-It is estimated that the selection of a permanent repository site will take 10 to 13 years. Is it possible to shorten this timeline?

▲It is true that we are behind schedule, but looking back at cases in other countries and our own past experiences, the fastest way is to strictly follow the procedures and reflect the will of the residents as much as possible. Sufficient time must be guaranteed for administrative procedures, such as the public offering period and consent from local councils. However, if we start preliminary investigations and evaluations with local governments that submit applications first, it may be possible to shorten the overall timeline.

-What were your impressions after your recent visit to Japan?

▲Despite considerable effort, Japan has not been able to select a final site due to a lack of geological stability. However, they are ahead of us in terms of technology, thanks to the long-term operation of underground research laboratories (URLs) for disposal facility construction. Japan also has procedures in which local governments secure public acceptance and submit applications, but separately, the central government also searches for suitable sites and proposes them to local authorities. I think it is worth considering this approach, as it increases the chances of success through multiple strategies. For example, it may be possible to enable local governments to utilize state-held information and expert personnel during the preliminary preparation phase.

-What lessons can we learn from Europe, including Finland, Sweden, and France, which are ahead in building permanent repositories?

▲There is much to learn, both in terms of securing disposal technology and site selection procedures. In particular, European experience shows that a truly long period was devoted to democratic procedures and securing public acceptance. This is not something we can skip. In Europe, the state takes responsibility for the development of the region and improving residents' quality of life.

-Are there any policies from Europe that we can benchmark?

▲If you go to Gyeongju, where the intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste disposal facility is located, you will see a banner reading, "Where did the 300 billion won go?" Although 300 billion won was provided when the facility was built, there is considerable dissatisfaction among the residents. Overseas, we see that special support funds are managed not by local governments or councils but by public interest corporations. I believe this is something we should seriously consider. Far more special support funds will be allocated to the host area of a high-level radioactive waste repository than to the intermediate- and low-level facility. It would be ideal for residents to participate directly in establishing long-term development plans through a public interest corporation. (Specific support measures for host regions will be finalized by a support committee chaired by the Prime Minister.)

-We have experienced nine failed site selection attempts in the past. What lessons can be learned from those experiences?

▲I do not believe those failures were in vain. Going through those processes made it possible to enact the Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste Management by bipartisan agreement. The special act itself is the product of social dialogue. From now on, our task is to strictly adhere to what is stipulated in the special act and transparently carry out the procedures.

A panoramic view of the Onkalo high-level radioactive waste disposal facility under construction in the Olkiluoto region of Finland. Source: Posiva website

-During the site selection process, unsuitable regions are to be excluded first. What criteria will be used?

▲In terms of geological stability, areas with active volcanic activity or earthquake faults will be excluded. If we apply the experience of transporting intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste to the high-level repository, it seems that regions with access to coastlines or not too far from the coast would be advantageous.

-Are there regions that hope to host the high-level radioactive waste repository?

▲Since my appointment as chairman in October last year, I have received several individual inquiries. With years of experience in nuclear power plant operations and construction of intermediate- and low-level disposal facilities, I believe public perception has changed compared to the past. In some areas, committees for attracting the facility have already been formed. (In Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, for example, the 'Jangheung National Project Attraction Promotion Committee' was launched last July, led by the private sector.)

Hyun Kwon Kim, Chairman of the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the Seoktanhoe-gwan Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2026.4.17 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

-Full-scale public bidding for permanent repository sites will begin next year. Is there a strategy for securing public acceptance?

▲Guaranteeing reversibility is crucial in the public bidding process. Even if the local council votes to apply, residents' opinions may change during the process. Guaranteeing the right to withdraw the application will encourage more active participation.

-There is also an urgent need to build interim storage facilities at the sites.

▲Wet storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel at Hanbit, Hanul, and Kori nuclear power plants will reach full capacity in 2030, 2031, and 2032, respectively. The spent nuclear fuel must be transferred to on-site storage facilities in a timely manner. This year, we plan to form consultative bodies with residents near Hanbit, Hanul, and Kori nuclear plants and accelerate the process of securing on-site storage facilities.

-Some residents worry that the on-site storage facilities could become permanent.

▲Such concerns have existed because there was no permanent disposal facility. However, with the establishment of the High-Level Committee and the commencement of the public bidding process for permanent repository sites following the implementation of the special act, I believe those concerns will naturally be dispelled. The special act also stipulates that spent nuclear fuel stored in on-site storage facilities must be transferred without delay once the management facility is completed. (According to the special act, interim storage facilities are to be operated until 2050, and disposal facilities until 2060.)

-As the inaugural chairman, is there anything you feel must be accomplished within your term?

▲I believe it is my duty to make the entire project predictable for everyone. I want to complete the overall blueprint by referring to the opinions of the public, various experts, and advanced overseas cases. My goal during my three-year tenure is to complete resident consultations for the construction of on-site storage facilities and to begin basic investigations focusing on candidate sites for the permanent repository.

Overseas, Construction of High-Level Radioactive Waste Repositories Takes Over 40 Years

Worldwide, constructing a high-level radioactive waste repository is a long-term project that takes more than 40 years. It is common to ensure transparency in the disclosure of information and to fully undergo democratic procedures in processes such as site selection, obtaining resident consent, and approval from local governments.

Finland is the most advanced, with its disposal facility set to begin operations this year. Finland began site investigations in 1983 and finally selected Olkiluoto Island in 2001. Posiva, a company jointly established by nuclear power operators, constructed the Onkalo disposal facility there. Posiva applied for an operating license in 2021 and is expected to receive approval within several months.

In Sweden, the Osthammar region near the Forsmark nuclear power plant was selected as the disposal site in 2009, 18 years after the selection process was announced in 1992. The Osthammar city council approved the project in 2020, 11 years after the site was selected. SKB, a company jointly established by nuclear power operators, received final approval for the facility's construction in 2022. Construction of the Osthammar repository began in 2025, with operations scheduled to begin in 2035.

France established the National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (ANDRA) in 1991 and is pursuing the Cigéo deep geological repository project near Bure, on the border of the Meuse and Haute-Marne regions. French authorities designated this area as the disposal site in 2010. Construction approval was applied for in 2023, with approval anticipated next year. Actual operations are expected to begin in the 2040s.

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