Yoo Guk-hee, New Chairperson of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, "Must Become a Competent Regulatory Agency with Scientific Expertise"

Skipping the Inauguration Ceremony and Starting Full-Scale Work

Yoo Guk-hee, the newly appointed Chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Yukookhee, the newly appointed chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, emphasized on the 6th upon taking office that "we must become a competent regulatory agency with scientific expertise."

On this day, Chairman Yuk skipped the inauguration ceremony considering the COVID-19 pandemic situation and shared his inaugural address with the staff.

Chairman Yuk said, "The next 10 years should be a period of leap forward to become a competent regulatory agency trusted by the public," adding, "Based on objective science and open safety regulations, we will build a reliable NSSC."

He reiterated the importance of nuclear safety. Chairman Yuk stated, "Nuclear safety is an absolute proposition that cannot be influenced or compromised by political positions or interests," and "Nuclear safety regulation must be conducted according to clear standards based on scientific knowledge, and we must silently walk the right path thinking only of the public’s safety when regulating."

He also urged the staff to develop proactive regulatory capabilities. Chairman Yuk said, "We must have regulatory capabilities to proactively identify potential problems at nuclear facilities and prevent accidents," and "We should anticipate changes in the policy environment in advance, proactively improve regulatory systems, and conduct regulatory administration that leads operators to voluntarily implement safety management."

He emphasized strengthening communication with the public. Chairman Yuk said, "Information produced by the NSSC should be transparently disclosed and communicated in the language of the public," adding, "Especially, we must communicate more closely with residents in nuclear power plant areas who experience concerns about nuclear safety most closely in their daily lives."

He also stressed thorough safety management of radiation in daily life surroundings, such as the previous radon bed incident. He said, "We must carefully review and supplement health issues of radiation workers who are inevitably exposed to radiation in their work environment," and "We will closely monitor the impact on public safety through measures such as strengthening marine radiation monitoring regarding Japan’s Fukushima contaminated water issue."