Nuclear Waste Disposal Policy and Governance in South Korea

Due to the fact that the full capacity of the temporary spent fuel storage facilities in nuclear power plants will be reached in the near future, the disposal of spent nuclear waste has become a matter of great concern in Korea. This article discusses the current status and limits of the Korean nuclear waste storage policy and governance. Considering the ecological and social impact of radioactivity, there is a compelling need for a nuclear waste governance system based on a social consensus on nuclear waste disposal. However, the participation of citizens and stakeholders in the decision-making process and their access to nuclear related information are still restricted. Consequently, although the government introduced legal and institutional instruments to conduct public discussion on spent fuel storage after a series of failed attempts to select a nuclear wastes repository site, environmental NGOs are refusing to participate in the public discussion held by the government criticizing it for being a mere formality to go through with the construction of spent fuel repository by any means. Thus, a wide-ranging and open discussion of nuclear waste disposal and national nuclear policy in Korea is highly desirable and could pave the way towards an energy transition and the sustainable development of the nation.