Status of safeguards implementation in the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has been building up its nuclear power industry since its first power reactor went into operation in 1978. There are now eight PWRs and one CANDU unit in operation, accounting for 43% of the total electricity supply. The ROK became an IAEA Member State in 1957 and ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1975. A full scope Safeguards Agreement was concluded in the same year. Since then, a further 13 peaceful use nuclear facilities have been subject to IAEA safeguards, and two PWRs and one multipurpose research reactor are expected to be included as soon as they are completed. The legal authority for all nuclear activities in the ROK is primarily based on the Atomic Energy Act, revised in 1986 to accommodate the safeguards clauses concluded with the IAEA in 1976. So far, the State System of Accounting and Control (SSAC) of nuclear materials has been centred solely in the Atomic Co-operation Division of the Ministry of Science and Technology, but recently a new Nuclear Control Division was created. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety manages safeguards information collected from each facility and assists IAEA inspectors to perform their mission efficiently. A computer program called KAERI has been developed to help manage facility-level accounting data and also State-level data. The output is sent to the IAEA on diskette. Research projects have been concentrated on a material accounting system and non-destructive assay measurements on fresh fuel material. The Government is planning to establish a Nuclear Material Safeguards Centre, which will be responsible for the development of safeguards technology. This should come to fruition in the course of 1994. When the Centre is working to capacity, in a few years' time, it is expected to help provide increased reliability and transparency in the peaceful use of nuclear materials in the ROK. (author). 4 figs, 2 tabs