Nuclear development in Korea began in 1957 when Korea joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was followed by the establishment of the Office of Atomic Energy within the government in 1959 in conformity with the global trend toward developing the peaceful use of atomic energy. This office was reorganized as the Atomic Energy Bureau under the newly established government organization, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in April 1967. The function of MOST is to promote and coordinate science and technology in general; in addition, MOST researches and develops the use and application of atomic energy as well as regulates nuclear safety.
Another branch of the central government, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), draws up basic plans for nuclear power development and supervises the construction and operation of nuclear plants.
Through the revision of the Atomic Energy Law in May 1986, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was reorganized under the Office of the Prime Minister, and its members were also upgraded to the ministerial level. The AEC has between 5 to 7 members: the Deputy Prime Minister as its chairman; the ministers of MOST and MOTIE, and the president of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) as standing members; and non-standing members nominated by the President. The major function of the AEC is to deliberated and resolve important policy matters on the use of nuclear energy and safety.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is a government-supported national nuclear research and development institute established in 1959 to serve as a center for promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Korea. KAERI carries out extensive R&D programs related to nuclear fuel design, nuclear safety, reactor engineering, and radioisotope (RI) applications, and undertakes fundamental research.
The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) was established under the KINS Act on February 4, 1990. The mission of KINS is to support the licensing and regulating activities of the government for the protection of public health and safety and the environment in the use of nuclear energy in Korea.
The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), a state-run corporation, is the only electric utility in Korea. The function of KEPCO is, as a utility, to supply cheap electricity of good quality to customers and take a leading role in encouraging the development of the nuclear industry in areas such as architect/engineering (A/E) and the localization of equipment and materials. KEPCO established the Korea Power Engineering Co. (KOPEC) in order to increase A/E capability in 1975. One of the other KEPCO subsidiaries, co-shared with KAERI, is the Korea Nuclear Fuel Co. (KNFC), which has produced 200 tons of nuclear fuel for PWRs annually since 1989.
AS for the manufacture of equipment related to nuclear components, Korea Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. (KHIC) has already been designated and supported by the government not only for manufacturing nuclear reactors, turbine-generators and components but also for supervising plant construction and erection works.
Korea became affiliated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in August 1975 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Since then, bilateral or multilateral agreements related to the application of safeguards have been signed with the IAEA, the US., France, Canada, Germany, and Australia, while the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (NPT) was ratified on April 23, 1975.
The Government has established and maintained a national safeguards system for nuclear material and other materials subject to the NPT. These materials are not only used for peaceful purposes, but have also been verified by IAEA fullscope safeguards for all nuclear facilities and materials in Korea.
In line with this, President Roh Tae Woo declared in November 1991, that "Korea will use nuclear energy solely for peaceful purposes and will not manufacture, possess, store, deploy, or use nuclear weapons". Korea also promised to submit all of its nuclear facilities and materials to comprehensive international inspection.
In Korea, the policy of developing and utilizing nuclear energy will be set and conducted based on the four fundamental goals as follows. This policy is based on the philosophy of harmonizing with nature and respecting human life, and will contribute not only to the development of the national economy and technology but also to the improvement of human welfare by the safe utilization of nuclear energy solely for peaceful purposes.
a) Stability of the energy supply will be enhanced by establishing nuclear energy as a major resource in producing domestic electricity.
b) Self-supporting technology for nuclear reactors and non-proliferating nuclear fuel cycle will be established through systematic research and development of nuclear energy.
c) The nuclear industry will be fostered as an export industry based on public participation and creativity, securing international competitiveness through a high level of nuclear technology.
In the course of its constant and rapid economic growth for the past 30 years largely due to the national development strategies, Korea, with its poor resources, could not help but be dependent on other countries for its energy resources. And since Korea's domestic demand of electricity is expected to more than double by 2006, Korea will most likely have to continue to depend upon the import of major energy sources for power generation.
In light of this, in Korea the constant construction of nuclear power plants is indispensable for a stable supply of energy because nuclear energy is unique in that it is a quasi-self-reliant energy source.
Since the first commercial operation of the Kori nuclear power plant in 1978, Korea has built and currently operates nine nuclear units including one heavy water reactor (PHWR) and eight pressurized light water reactors (PWR), thus making this country 10th among the countries that utilize nuclear energy. The total nuclear installed capacity was, 7,616MWe at the end of 1993, which accounted for about 27.5 percent of the total installed generation capacity and which supplied a little over 40 percent of the total electricity generation. By 2006, the Korean government plans to bring another 14 units on line, including three PHWR and four PWRs currently under commissioning or construction. Under this program, Korea will be able to keep the capacity of its own nuclear power plant facilities at about 40 percent of total electricity generation capacity.
The Ulchin Units 3 & 4, which are under construction, will be the first Korea standard nuclear power plants designed and built with our own technology. Through the improvement of existing PWR's, Korea will develop next generation reactor technology by 2001. The reactor development will go to conceptual design and FOAK engineering.
Korea has a 30 year history in nuclear research and development. Until the late 1970s it focused on research and development of radioisotope utilization and radiation applications in the fields of agriculture, medicine and industry. Studies on reactor physics and material properties were also conducted, mainly by using TRIGA Mark II and III research reactors.
Ever since the first nuclear power project in Korea was undertaken in the early 1970s, the nuclear power program has grown steadily. From the beginning of the 1980s, the major direction of nuclear R&D was changed from theoretical nuclear research to practical nuclear power technology development.
With its accumulated knowledge in the nuclear field, the Korean government established a long-term nuclear R&D program that will be implemented over the next ten years from 1992 to 2001. This program is aimed at enhancing Korea's technological capability to the level of the nuclear advanced countries in the early 2000s, and the establishment of self-sufficiency in nuclear energy supply through the enhancement of nuclear technology. In implementing this program, Korea is determined as ever to adhere to the policy of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, based on active international cooperation.
Through active participation of R&D projects in nuclear power plants, self-reliance in nuclear power technology will be better achieved by the turn of the century. With this in mind, technology for the design and manufacture of CANDU fuel was developed by KAERI with extensive technical cooperation with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). Based on this successful experience, KAERI is jointly carrying out NSSS design and engineering work for PWR plants with Combustion Engineering (C.E.) of the US., high burn-up PWR fuel design with Siemens/KWU of Germany, and NSSS design for the CANDU Plant with AECL of Canada.
Since the establishment of research reactors in 1962 and the first commercial operation of a nuclear power plant in 1978, no accident, including the discharge of radioactive materials, has in Korea occurred in Korea. Moreover, the quantity of discharged radioactive materials in normal operation was much lower than the permitted limit.
Such results were achieved through: the governmental efforts for reasonable safety control; public demands on nuclear safety; research and development by industry, educational institutes, and research institutes; and the reinforcement of safety activities by utilities. However, as Korea's nuclear power plant program expands to meet increasing energy demands, the safety of these nuclear power plants becomes an important issue.
Thus, for developing and utilizing nuclear energy, safety and protection shall be recognized as the first priority, and every effort to enhance nuclear safety will be exerted.
- To protect national life, property, and environment from nuclear accident, a proper attitude toward nuclear safety should be developed emphasizing the value of safety.
All these efforts are on the basis of the crucial assumption that it is impossible to develop and utilize nuclear energy without safety.
The nuclear regulatory procedures in Korea were made from a combination of those of the US and Japan. The first step is licensing on construction permit. The environmental impact report and the preliminary safety analysis report prepared by the applicants are forwarded to KINS via MOST for review and comments by the experts of KINS, and then are approved by the government (MOST) following AEC deliberation. An operation license is also issued following a review of the final safety analysis report and technical specifications prepared by the applicants.
Enforcement and regulation of the Atomic Energy Law is provided by a prime ministerial ordinance which details the provisions commissioned by the Atomic Energy Law and the Enforcement Decree of that Law. Specific requirements are imposed through this enforcement regulation.
The current regulations stipulate three licensing stages for the nuclear power plant: siting and limited work authorization; the construction permit; and the operation license. The regulation also requires that any person or authority wishing to construct and operate installations for unclear energy in Korea is required to obtain a license from the Ministry of Science and Technology. Before issuing a license to the utility, MOST requires sufficient information from the person or organization to show that the required technical, health, safety, and security standards stipulated in the Prime Ministerial Ordinance are met and maintained.
