[2026 National Assembly Audit] Safety violations persist after radiation exposure accidents; nuclear plant Accident Management Plans stalled for seven years (comprehensive)

7 Radiation Exposure Accidents, 8 People Exposed in Five Years... One Safety Manager Oversees 1,000 Devices
Nuclear Plant Review Used Input Data from Another Plant... SMR Regulation and Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Also Under Scrutiny

Over the past five years, seven radiation exposure accidents occurred at institutions that use radiation, exposing eight people. At some companies, safety management violations identified before an accident were repeated even after it.

Accident Management Plans outlining procedures for responding to severe accidents at nuclear power plants had not been approved more than seven years after submission. It was also revealed that evaluation input data from another nuclear power plant had been used during the review.

Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairman Choi Wonho answers lawmakers' questions during a parliamentary audit of the commission and other agencies at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Yoon Dongju

At an October 13 National Assembly audit of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, lawmakers raised questions on a range of nuclear safety policies, including poor safety management at institutions that use radiation, delays in nuclear power plant safety reviews, and preparations for regulating small modular reactors (SMRs).

According to data submitted by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Namguk, seven radiation exposure accidents occurred at institutions that use radiation over the past five years, exposing eight people. In particular, the same safety management violations were found before and after an accident at a radiographic nondestructive testing company in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, in September 2023.

During an inspection in 2022, before the accident, the company was cited for violations including failing to report the establishment of a workplace and failing to implement measures to prevent radiation hazards. However, an inspection in 2024, after the accident, again found the same violations.

"Violations identified before the accident were repeated after it," Kim said, adding, "I believe the existing inspections and corrective measures did not work properly." Choi Wonho, chairperson of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, replied, "It seems so."

The workload of safety management personnel was also raised as an issue. Five institutions had a single radiation safety manager responsible for more than 1,000 radiation-generating devices, yet no research or review had been conducted in the past 10 years on the appropriate number of devices to manage or the workload involved.

Kim called for stricter criteria for placing institutions under intensive oversight when they have a history of accidents or repeated violations, and for staffing standards that take into account equipment risk and workload. Choi agreed that stronger management was needed and said, "We will review it."

Nuclear power plant Accident Management Plans unapproved for over seven years; review errors also found

The prolonged review of nuclear power plant Accident Management Plans also came under scrutiny. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Hungi pointed out that the plans for Kori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Unit 1, submitted by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) in June 2019, had not been approved even after seven years and four months.

An Accident Management Plan is a document detailing response procedures to mitigate the progression of an accident and minimize the release of radioactive materials into the environment in the event of a severe accident at a nuclear power plant.

Questions were also raised about the accuracy of the evaluation data used during the review. Citing minutes from a Nuclear Safety and Security Commission meeting on September 11, Lee pointed out that some of the input data for the radiation dose assessment for Kori Units 3 and 4 had come from Kori Unit 2.

"This went undetected during seven years of review," Lee said, criticizing the commission: "It is hard to understand how input data from another nuclear power plant could have been used." He also called for the input data to be corrected and an accurate assessment conducted before a decision on approval.

Choi acknowledged that the error had been missed during the review and said, "We conducted another assessment and corrected it." However, he did not provide a date for final approval of the Accident Management Plans.

SMR regulatory preparations and nuclear fuel supply chain also under scrutiny

The need to update the regulatory framework for SMRs, which are attracting attention as next-generation nuclear power plants, was also raised. People Power Party lawmaker Seo Cheonho said that as factory-built SMRs are expected to be increasingly installed at their designated sites, the licensing system, which is currently centered on large nuclear power plants, needs to be changed.

He emphasized that the government should consider introducing a manufacturing license system, as in the United States, to verify reactor safety during the factory production stage. The aim is to establish safety verification standards for each stage of design, manufacturing, and installation in preparation for the commercialization of SMRs.

A view of the Gori Nuclear Power Plant. The Asia Business Daily database.

The stability of the nuclear fuel supply chain also emerged as an issue at the audit. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jang-gyeom highlighted South Korea's reliance on foreign uranium enrichment services and called for diversifying suppliers and developing long-term countermeasures.

KHNP said France accounts for 40% of its current enrichment service procurement, while the United Kingdom and Russia each account for 30%. It said it is pursuing long-term contracts with China to reduce reliance on Russia and plans to secure supplies from the United States starting in 2032.

Kim argued that diversifying suppliers alone would not be enough and called for South Korea to consider building domestic enrichment capabilities over the long term. KHNP said it would review the matter to the extent possible, as it is tied to national policy.

Nuclear power plants' defenses against drone attacks were also examined. People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyoungtae raised the possibility of drone attacks on nuclear facilities and called for defensive performance tests based on a range of attack scenarios. He urged the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control to prepare a test plan to verify its actual response capabilities.

The commission's management of outsourced project funds was also questioned. Some project funds provided to contractors responsible for radiation monitoring at airports and seaports were reportedly used for holiday gifts and condolence and congratulatory expenses, while research and development reserves held by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control were reportedly spent on information display boards and landscaping.

"We bear significant responsibility for failing to provide detailed guidelines and manage the funds closely," Choi said, adding, "Going forward, we will manage them closely based on detailed standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.