Since the initial introduction of nuclear power to Korea in 1978, nuclear power industry has grown rapidly. At present, there are 23 operating reactors in 5 nuclear power plant (NPP) sites in Korea, and as the demand for domestic electricity increases, the demand for more nuclear energy will grow. According to "the 6th Basic Plan of Electricity Supply and Demand", a total of 34 reactors will be in operation by 2024. This large nuclear power generation program has produced a significant amount of radioactive waste, and the amount of waste is steadily growing. Because the radioactive isotopes are widely used in various industries and reactors are to be decommissioned from 2020's, generation rate of radioactive waste will be also increased. Approximately 130,000 drums (200 l/drum) are generated to date, and they are safely stored under control of generators or Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) at the moment. In accordance with the fundamental principle of radioactive waste management recommended, the radioactive waste management measure was approved by the 249th Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in September 1998. In this measure there is a declaration of the basic principles that radioactive waste management should be under government responsibility, safety is a top priority, radioactive waste generation should be minimized, and the site selection process should be transparent, and finally, the principle 'polluters pay' should be adopted. At the same time, it was also decided that low-and-intermediate level waste (LILW) disposal facilities could be near surface or underground type, which would be constructed in phases with the total capacity of 800,000 drums while the 1st phase facility would accommodate about 100,000 drums. In December 2004, the 253rd AEC approved that LILW disposal facility should be built in advance and the measure of spent nuclear fuel management would be established under national consensus considering the national policy and the results of research & development. On the basis of the decision of AEC, in November 2005, Gyeongju city was designated as a candidate site for LILW disposal facility by the local referendum held in 4 volunteer regions. In order to enhance transparency and confidence of radioactive waste management and to manage radioactive waste in safe and effective ways, the Radioactive Waste Management Act[l] was legislated in March 2008. Based on the law, Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) was founded in January 2009, and the generator and the implementer were hereby separated. KORAD completed constructing the LILW underground silo type facility in Wolsong located in the outskirt of Gyeongju-city in June 2014. It was also approved for the operation by the Nuclear Safety & Security Commission (NSSC) in December 2014. In this paper, current status of LILW management in Korea is introduced and its prospects will also be discussed.
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