Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Citizen Reporters Visit Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences and Other Nuclear Facilities

Shedding Light on the Future of Radiation
Exploring Through the Eyes of Citizens

The citizen reporters from the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute visited major nuclear facilities located in Gijang-gun, Busan, from July 17 to 18, 2025, as part of their activities as radiation technology communicators.

The citizen reporter group consists of 13 residents from diverse fields, including science teachers and local journalists living in Jeongeup, and encompasses a wide age range from their 20s to their 60s, facilitating active exchanges and discussions.

The group toured the construction site of the export-type new research reactor within the Dongnam Radiological & Medical Science Complex and visited the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, where they listened to explanations about the present and future of radiation technology, including radiation dose assessment, production of radiopharmaceuticals, and clinical applications. In particular, they showed keen interest in AI-based radiation dose assessment and the biological effects of low-dose radiation, and engaged in in-depth discussions by raising various questions related to space and environmental radiation.

They also toured the GMP facility where radiopharmaceuticals used for cancer diagnosis and treatment are actually produced. Explanations and Q&A sessions were held on the latest technologies used for diagnosing and treating prostate cancer, as well as for diagnosing pancreatic cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, which further deepened their understanding of radiological medicine.

Son Taegun, Head of the Radiation Biohealth Research Division at the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, emphasized, "The Dongnam Radiological & Medical Science Complex is growing into a world-class cluster driving the advancement of radiological science in Korea," and added, "If the organic system of producing radioisotopes at the export-type new research reactor, developing new drugs at the Isotope Utilization Research Center, and applying them clinically at the Institute operates properly, it will create significant synergy."

The citizen reporters are currently serving as a communication channel that conveys the usefulness and social value of radiation technology from a citizen's perspective, with support from the national radiation research institute, and are also contributing to win-win cooperation with the local community.

The citizen reporters from the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute are visiting the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences and taking a commemorative photo.