SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will call for greater transparency and information-sharing by the world's leading nuclear energy regulators to better respond to growing demands for objective data on safety, the government said Sunday.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said it will push for openness in information at the 26th International Nuclear Regulations' Association (INRA) meeting in London this week.
The association, established in 1997, is an informal association of the most senior officials of the nuclear regulatory authorities from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and South Korea. The goal of the group that meets twice a year is to enhance nuclear safety through regulatory processes and sharing best practices.
"Such a move aims to provide the public with all pertinent information on complications experienced in the building of nuclear reactors by INRA members, such as delays in construction, substandard quality control and shortcoming involving operations," said a ministry official.
He stressed that Seoul will urge INRA members to engage in talks so such an open system that can meet future needs can be adopted as the global standard.
"The proposal signifies a shift from a defensive policy where Seoul refuted claims made by others to an aggressive stance of calling on all parties to publicize their track record in terms of problems encountered in the building and running of reactors," the official said.
The plan comes as Seoul aims to become an active player in the global commercial nuclear reactor market after the sale of four of its APR-1400 reactors to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Policymakers here said that rivals had engaged in an unfounded smear campaign against the South Korean-designed reactor, while they declined to release information on well publicized problems of their own.
A South Korean consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corp. side-stepped challenges by France's Areva SA for the US$18.6 billion UAE contract.
The ministry, which represents South Korea at the gathering, also said that it will highlight its plan to undergo an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2011 right after the U.S.
Of all the INRA members, only the U.S. and South Korea have not received the regulatory service review designed to enhance the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety and security of radioactive sources.
Getting the IRRS can further dispel any misgivings on the capabilities of South Korea in the nuclear field.
The ministry said because the gathering is composed of individual officials and experts, South Korea will be represented by its nuclear energy bureau chief, Hong Nam-pyo. The ministry official can take part because his office oversees the country's Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.
For the U.S., Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will take part in talks, and Andre Claude Lacoste will represent France's Nuclear Safety Authority.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
Source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2010/04/23/8/0501000000AEN20100423011600320F.HTML
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said it will push for openness in information at the 26th International Nuclear Regulations' Association (INRA) meeting in London this week.
The association, established in 1997, is an informal association of the most senior officials of the nuclear regulatory authorities from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and South Korea. The goal of the group that meets twice a year is to enhance nuclear safety through regulatory processes and sharing best practices.
"Such a move aims to provide the public with all pertinent information on complications experienced in the building of nuclear reactors by INRA members, such as delays in construction, substandard quality control and shortcoming involving operations," said a ministry official.
He stressed that Seoul will urge INRA members to engage in talks so such an open system that can meet future needs can be adopted as the global standard.
"The proposal signifies a shift from a defensive policy where Seoul refuted claims made by others to an aggressive stance of calling on all parties to publicize their track record in terms of problems encountered in the building and running of reactors," the official said.
The plan comes as Seoul aims to become an active player in the global commercial nuclear reactor market after the sale of four of its APR-1400 reactors to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Policymakers here said that rivals had engaged in an unfounded smear campaign against the South Korean-designed reactor, while they declined to release information on well publicized problems of their own.
A South Korean consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corp. side-stepped challenges by France's Areva SA for the US$18.6 billion UAE contract.
The ministry, which represents South Korea at the gathering, also said that it will highlight its plan to undergo an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2011 right after the U.S.
Of all the INRA members, only the U.S. and South Korea have not received the regulatory service review designed to enhance the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety and security of radioactive sources.
Getting the IRRS can further dispel any misgivings on the capabilities of South Korea in the nuclear field.
The ministry said because the gathering is composed of individual officials and experts, South Korea will be represented by its nuclear energy bureau chief, Hong Nam-pyo. The ministry official can take part because his office oversees the country's Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.
For the U.S., Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will take part in talks, and Andre Claude Lacoste will represent France's Nuclear Safety Authority.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
Source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2010/04/23/8/0501000000AEN20100423011600320F.HTML
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