Spent Nuclear Fuel Review Committee "Completion of Day 1 Nationwide Opinion Gathering"

Anti-nuclear groups urge "halt"

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee holds the "1st Nationwide Public Consultation Forum on Spent Nuclear Fuel" on the 10th. (Photo by Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee announced on the 10th that it has concluded the first day of the first nationwide opinion-gathering forum to establish mid- to long-term management plans for spent nuclear fuel. Anti-nuclear groups are urging the suspension of the discussions.

The Review Committee is holding the first comprehensive forum over three days starting from this day, targeting 510 citizen participants.

The forum is a place where participants discuss and consolidate their positions on the necessity of interim storage facilities and permanent disposal facilities, as well as scenarios and principles for managing spent nuclear fuel.

A representative of the Review Committee explained, "Panels composed of experts with diverse positions and opinions, including civil society and the nuclear sector, participated in presentations and discussions in a balanced manner, facilitating debates and Q&A sessions on the nationwide opinion-gathering agenda."

According to the Review Committee, sufficient discussions were held through watching videos of the Future Generation Workshop (attended by about 100 high school students) conducted online on the 5th, along with various opinions presented by experts.

The Review Committee representative added, "The participants in the comprehensive forum have shown a considerable level of understanding of spent nuclear fuel management plans through more than six weeks of deliberative learning since the orientation on May 23 and participation in the discussions on this day."

He continued, "The Review Committee will make every effort to ensure that the remaining comprehensive forum schedule proceeds smoothly so that opinion gathering from the public and local residents is conducted fairly and objectively."

Source=Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee

Earlier, after former Chairperson Jeong Jeonghwa resigned on the 26th of last month, the Review Committee appointed Professor Kim Soyoung of the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) as the new chairperson on the 1st.

Former Chairperson Jeong stepped down, stating that the Review Committee was formed without securing representativeness, causing the public deliberation process to break down. Subsequently, two more members resigned, and the committee is currently operating with 10 members, including Chairperson Kim.

Meanwhile, anti-nuclear groups such as the High-Level Radioactive Waste National Council and Anti-Nuclear Citizens' Action held a press conference in front of COEX on the same day, urging the suspension of the spent nuclear fuel review.

These groups criticized, "Despite the unprecedented event of former Chairperson Jeong's resignation, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the supervising department, is pushing forward with the failed public deliberation plan."

They continued, "Contrary to the purpose of re-deliberation, the Ministry of Industry launched the Review Committee with so-called neutral figures who know little about spent nuclear fuel, excluding all stakeholders such as local communities and civil society without any consultation. All schedules were aligned solely to the timetable for timely construction of the MACSTOR (spent nuclear fuel storage facility)."

The groups claimed, "Forcing unilateral opinion gathering despite the chairperson's resignation is state violence disguised as public deliberation," and urged, "Establish a transparent and independent dedicated organization under the President or Prime Minister, not under the Ministry of Industry, to restart public deliberation from scratch."

The Review Committee plans to hold one more comprehensive forum on the 1st of next month.