Zone approach safeguards applied in Korea

A Zone Approach was approved by DDG-SG of IAEA, with the intent of reducing the need for verifying inventory changes between zone facilities, and to provide assurance against borrowing within the zone. There are the low enriched uranium zone (LEU zone) including LWR fuel fabrication plant (KO1R) and LWRs, and the natural uranium zone (NU zone) including CANDU fuel fabrication plant (KO2R) and CANDUs in Korea. It was appeared that three interim inspections in KO1R and one interim inspection in KO2R were omitted a year through the LEU and NU Zone Approach, and ten times of fresh fuel receipt verifications at LWRs were decreased in 2003 by running the LWR Fresh Fuel Tracking System. Korea and IAEA agreed to perform the simultaneous PIV in NU zone in 2004 and so all fresh fuel verifications during the interim inspection in CANDUs are not taking place. It is expected that simultaneous PIV under NU zone makes the IAEA to reduce the inspection efforts for CANDUs and to get the better inspection schedule in Korea. Also, it is a good chance for Korea to raise the nuclear transparency