Korean Nuclear Society Welcomes President Lee's Commitment to "Objective Facts, Not Politics" on Nuclear Power

"Hold a Public Expert Debate
and Increase Expert Participation in the 12th Basic Electricity Plan"

Lee Kibok, President of the Korean Nuclear Society (left in the photo), is speaking at a press conference held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on July 25, 2025.

The Korean Nuclear Society announced on the 18th that it deeply sympathizes with and welcomes President Lee Jaemyung's remarks during the government work report on the 17th, emphasizing that "nuclear power issues should not be divisive, but should be discussed scientifically."

The Nuclear Society pointed out, "As the President noted, nuclear power policy, which should serve as the nation's long-term energy strategy, has at times been discussed based on political logic rather than scientific evidence," adding, "Issues such as the construction period of nuclear power plants and the effectiveness of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing technology, which can be verified with objective data, have been addressed without sufficient scientific review."

The Society stated, "We hope that the President's recent remarks will serve as an important turning point in normalizing Korea's energy policy," and made three recommendations to the government.

First, the Society said, "We wholeheartedly welcome the President's stance of pursuing nuclear power policy based on science and facts," and expressed support for the government to consistently uphold this principle.

Additionally, the Society proposed holding a "public expert debate for the general public" to establish the objective truth about nuclear power. This would involve the government organizing expert forums or public debates on major issues such as the construction period for new nuclear power plants and the current status of spent nuclear fuel management technology.

The Society further stated, "For the President's commitment to be realized as policy, the planning process must be grounded in scientific expertise," and requested that "the proportion of experts from nuclear power and related fields be significantly increased in the ongoing process of establishing the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand."