Nuclear Safety... Busan City Holds 'Practical Meeting of the Administrative Council for Metropolitan Cities with Nuclear Power Plants'

Meeting at Busan Technopark at 1 PM on the 31st

Reflecting Residents' Opinions, Joint Response and Cooperation on Key Issues

On the 31st at 1 p.m., Busan City held the '2023 1st Practical Meeting of the Administrative Council of Metropolitan Cities and Provinces with Nuclear Power Plants' at the Busan Technopark conference room in Yangjeong-dong, Busanjin-gu.

Practical Meeting of the Administrative Council of Metropolitan Cities and Provinces with Nuclear Power Plants.

The Administrative Council of Metropolitan Cities and Provinces with Nuclear Power Plants is a consultative body involving Busan, Ulsan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongbuk, where nuclear power plants are located. Since 2015, it has been held twice a year, once in the first half and once in the second half, hosted by each city and province, and this year Busan City is hosting it.

About 20 officials, including heads of nuclear power-related departments from the four cities and provinces, attended the meeting. The four participating cities and provinces agreed to actively reflect residents' opinions on nuclear safety, amplify the voices of local governments in nuclear power plant areas, and jointly respond and cooperate on major nuclear-related issues.

In particular, through this meeting, four agenda items were derived: ▲ amendment of related laws to guarantee local participation in nuclear safety policies ▲ introduction of a regional differential electricity rate system ▲ establishment of a nuclear safety grant tax due to the expansion of the radiation emergency planning zone ▲ preparation of a special law on high-level radioactive waste management.

Among these, the agenda item on ▲ amendment of related laws to guarantee local participation in nuclear safety policies calls for granting authority to metropolitan and provincial governors who are practically responsible for residents' safety, in relation to nuclear policies concentrated at the national level.

The agenda item on ▲ introduction of a regional differential electricity rate system addresses the irrationality of applying the same electricity rates despite power demand being concentrated in the metropolitan area and large-scale power plants, such as nuclear power plants, being located in local areas. It emphasizes the need to reflect local voices to prepare reasonable support measures through sufficient communication with residents.

The agenda item on ▲ preparation of a special law on high-level radioactive waste management includes provisions to specify the operation period of dry storage facilities temporarily installed within nuclear power plant sites to alleviate concerns about their permanent use, and recommends sufficient communication and collection of opinions from residents to ensure democracy and transparency in the policy decision-making process.

The four cities and provinces plan to jointly propose the four derived agenda items to relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, and to visit related standing committee members of the National Assembly to explain and urge measures to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant areas.

Kang Hye-young, Director of the Nuclear Safety Division of Busan City, said, “Creating an environment where citizens can live without anxiety or worry about their lives and safety is the most important responsibility of local governments.” She added, “We are making efforts to secure nuclear safety and resident acceptance, and will continuously urge the government and operators (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power) with a consistent stance of ‘prioritizing citizen safety.’”