[Report] "After Nuclear Power Plant Construction, Now Korea Exports Its Waste Disposal Facilities" ... Attracting Interest from Abroad

Phase 2 Surface Disposal Facility Completed in Gyeongju
Enhanced Safety with Five-Layer Barrier Technology
Integration of IT Technology Draws Interest from UAE, South Africa, and Others
Significance in Securing Sustainability of the Nuclear Industry

Overview of the surface disposal facility of Korea Radioactive Waste Agency. Photo by Heejong Kang

On the afternoon of the 13th, when I climbed to the observatory of the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility located in Munmu Daewang-myeon, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, I could see the newly completed Phase 2 surface disposal facility at a glance.

The surface disposal facility, which will begin full-scale operation in the second half of this year, is designed to safely dispose of radioactive waste with relatively low radioactivity—classified as low-level or below. The facility consists of solid concrete structures installed at a shallow depth near the ground surface, where the radioactive waste is stored.

Low-level radioactive waste refers to waste with relatively low radioactivity, such as gloves and protective suits. This type of waste is mainly generated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Korea Nuclear Fuel.

The surface disposal facility contains 20 disposal vaults, each measuring 20 meters in width and length and 10 meters in height. The concrete barriers of each vault are 60 centimeters thick. The entire facility is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 7.0. Each vault can store 6,300 drums with a capacity of 200 liters each. Altogether, the 20 vaults can accommodate a total of 125,000 drums.

A view of the Mobile Crane Shelter (MCS) installed at the disposal pit of the near-surface disposal facility managed by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, along with the dedicated truck for radioactive waste. Photo by Heejong Kang

The surface disposal facility is equipped with two mobile crane shelters (MCS) with covers to protect against rain. When the dedicated truck carrying radioactive waste arrives, the crane automatically moves to stack the drums in the vault. After one layer of drums is stacked, the empty spaces are backfilled with concrete (grout). Once the vault is full, a slab is installed on top to seal it.

Once all 20 vaults are filled, they are covered with a final disposal cover for management, resulting in a large mound shape. Radioactivity leakage is monitored during the 300-year institutional control period that follows. The surface disposal facility features a five-layer barrier system: bedrock, radioactive waste drums, backfill, vault, and cover.

Lee Kyunhwan, Construction Management Team Leader at Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, said, "Although this may be flexible depending on the Basic Power Supply Plan and nuclear plant decommissioning plans, we expect the surface disposal facility to reach capacity in about 20 to 25 years."

Status of Surface Disposal Facilities of Korea Radioactive Waste Agency. Korea Radioactive Waste Agency

Leachate generated when disposal vaults become wet from rainwater is collected through pipes into an underground storage tank. Here, radioactivity levels and nuclide types are checked before the water is discharged. Around the surface disposal facility, eight water curtain towers have been installed to prevent the spread of fire in the event of a wildfire. If a fire breaks out, the water curtain towers spray water to prevent flames from spreading to the disposal facility.

With the completion of the surface disposal facility, Korea has become the sixth country in the world to operate both cavern-type and surface-type disposal facilities. Korea is also the world's first country to operate both types of facilities on a single site.

Seongdon Cho, Chairman of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (center left in the photo), Lee Wonjoo, Director of the Energy Transition Policy Office at the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment (center right in the photo), and other key guests are attending the unveiling ceremony commemorating the completion of the second phase surface disposal facility. 2026.5.13. Korea Radioactive Waste Agency Photo by Korea Radioactive Waste Agency

The completion ceremony drew attention as representatives from the South African nuclear power industry were present. In addition to South Africa, nuclear power-operating countries such as the UAE, Taiwan, and Vietnam—which have not yet built radioactive waste disposal facilities—are reportedly showing great interest in Korea's advanced disposal technology.

Lee Wonju, Director of Energy Transition Policy at the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment, stated, "We are leading the way in integrated management technology for cavern and surface disposal facilities at a single site," adding, "There is also significant international interest in the use of information technology (IT) for managing these facilities."

Josungdon, Chairman of Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, emphasized, "Many countries are paying attention to the technical expertise and experience we have accumulated through safety-centered design and operation." The agency has adopted advanced digital technologies, such as a Waste Tracking System (WTS) using GPS and the K-Oasis Integrated Waste Management Platform, for its operations.

The completion of the surface disposal facility is highly meaningful, as it completes the nuclear fuel cycle in Korea, supports the sustainability of the domestic nuclear industry, and strengthens energy security.

Until now, Korea has disposed of both intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste in the Phase 1 cavern-type disposal facility, which was completed in 2015. There have been ongoing criticisms that disposing of low-level waste in the cavern-type facility—which cost 1.54 trillion won to construct—is not cost-efficient. Overseas, the Korean cavern-type facility has even been described as "building a hotel for the homeless." The construction of the surface-type disposal facility cost about 310 billion won.

The disposal capacity of the cavern-type facility is 100,000 drums, and as of May this year, 37,700 drums have been disposed of, resulting in a saturation rate of 37.7%. With the majority of radioactive waste being low-level and now stored in the surface disposal facility, there is sufficient capacity in the cavern-type facility to dispose of all intermediate-level waste generated domestically. Team leader Lee Kyunhwan explained, "Based on current estimates, the volume of future intermediate-level radioactive waste is expected to be about 60,000 drums."

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency is also promoting the construction of a Phase 3 landfill-type disposal facility with a capacity of about 160,000 drums for very low-level radioactive waste. Once the Phase 3 project, scheduled for completion in 2031, is finished, Korea's total capacity for low- and intermediate-level waste disposal will expand to 385,000 drums.

With the completion of the surface-type disposal facility, the nation's disposal capacity has increased. A representative of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency explained, "The current acceptance and disposal capacity is about 4,000 drums, but this will be gradually expanded to 8,000 drums by 2030 and 12,000 drums by 2050."

Aerial view of the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency. Korea Radioactive Waste Agency

The total site area for the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility is 2.06 million square meters. If nuclear power generation is expanded in the future, the capacity could be increased to 800,000 drums through additional Phase 4 and 5 projects. In preparation for an increase in low-level waste, the agency has also secured an additional site of the same size adjacent to the newly completed surface disposal facility.

The safe operation of the low- and intermediate-level waste disposal facility could serve as a reference when selecting a site for a high-level waste disposal facility in the future. There has not been a single accident in the 11 years since 2015. Director Lee Wonju said, "For the issue of selecting a site for a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility, we plan to resolve it through communication and consultation with local residents," adding, "We hope the success of the low- and intermediate-level disposal facility will serve as a stepping stone for this process."

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