Docuprime to Broadcast Solutions and Conflicts Regarding High-Level Radioactive Waste Repositories on the Morning of the 30th

MBC will broadcast the episode "The 100,000-Year Journey Has Begun" on Sunday, the 30th, at 7:40 AM. This episode examines the current situation in South Korea, which is experiencing difficulties ahead of the selection of a high-level radioactive waste repository site next year, and introduces the cases of Finland, which is preparing to operate the world's first high-level radioactive waste repository, and Sweden, which succeeded in attracting a site through the world's first democratic consensus.

Why High-Level Radioactive Waste Repositories are Necessary

As power consumption increases in the digital age, major U.S. big tech companies are moving to secure nuclear power plants. Microsoft has decided to revive a stopped nuclear plant, Meta has signed an exclusive contract for nuclear power, and Google has made a down payment for the construction of small modular reactors. This is based on the judgment that there is no energy source as stable as nuclear power to prevent incidents such as large-scale blackouts in Spain and Portugal. On the other hand, in South Korea, the average saturation rate of spent nuclear fuel storage pools discharged from nuclear power plants has risen to 83.6%, putting the country at risk of a chain of shutdowns. While the urgent problem was addressed by constructing MACSTOR, a temporary storage facility, conflicts with local residents are deepening due to concerns that the temporary could become permanent.

Finland Embraces the World's First High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository

Eurajoki, a small western city in Finland, which is considered one of the happiest countries in the world, is an area with high resident satisfaction due to low taxes and well-established welfare infrastructure. Unlike other municipalities experiencing population decline, the background behind Eurajoki's ability to maintain a prosperous daily life is 'Onkalo', the world's first high-level radioactive waste repository. The program examines how Eurajoki attracted a high-level radioactive waste repository, which the whole world struggles to host as a representative NIMBY facility, and how it became a source of pride and prestige for the town.

Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste: Domestic Discussions Regain Momentum

Despite its 48-year history of nuclear power, South Korea, a nuclear power powerhouse, has not been able to solve the problem of finding a repository site. Insufficient acceptance of resident opinions and public deliberation are cited as reasons for failure. Subsequently, medium-and-low-level waste repositories were established in Gyeongju by introducing legal safeguards and referendum methods, but the most urgent high-level radioactive waste repository is still at a standstill. With the enactment of the Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste last year, a legal framework has been established, and some local governments are beginning to prepare in advance ahead of next year's site call for applications. The remaining task is for the state to provide trust to local governments and residents that it is capable of operating a high-level radioactive waste repository scientifically and technically.

The 'Promise with No Losers' Shown by Two Swedish Cities

Sweden is noted not so much for the fact that it decided on a high-level radioactive waste repository site second in the world, but for the fact that the process was democratic. The two cities, Östhammar and Oskarshamn, competed to attract the site. The background behind both the city that succeeded in attracting the site and the city that failed being able to smile was Sweden's 'Promise with No Losers', which dictates that efforts to take risks and cooperate for a national project must be equally compensated. Thanks to this promise, the residents of Östhammar, which hosts the high-level radioactive waste repository, can speak of pride instead of anxiety.

Source: MBC Press Release

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