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South Korea Strengthens Drone Control Around Nuclear Power Plants, Illegal Flights to Trigger Criminal Law

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) stated on September 14 that it will further strengthen its response to unauthorized drone flights within no-fly zones around nuclear power plants. It is understood that under the revised Aviation Safety Act, the penalty for unauthorized operation of ultralight flying devices (drones, etc.) within no-fly zones has been significantly raised from the previous "fine of up to 3 million won (administrative fine)" to "imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10 million won." According to statistics from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission of South Korea, from 2021 to August of last year, a total of 699 illegal drone incidents were detected near nuclear power plants across South Korea, of which 284 cases could not identify the operators...

2026-09-14

South Korea Launches Standard Design Approval Review for i-SMR

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea is set to initiate a safety review of the standard design approval application for the innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR). This project is part of the small modular reactor research and development program led by the South Korean government. The NSSC stated on August 28 that, at its 13th meeting of 2026 held on August 27, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) reported on the review plan for the i-SMR standard design approval application. KINS had previously conducted a suitability review of the standard design approval application documents submitted in February of this year and determined that the documents met the conditions for entering the safety review phase, thereby establishing a subsequent review plan. The standard design approval system is designed to...

2026-08-28

South Korea Approves Restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea announced on August 21 that it has approved the restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1, located in Ulju County, Ulsan. The unit has been under routine inspection since July 2. On the same day, the commission approved the unit to reach criticality. Criticality refers to the state in which a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction can be maintained within the reactor core, with a balanced neutron population. Once criticality is achieved, the reactor can gradually resume operation under safely controlled conditions. The NSSC stated that this routine inspection involved 98 inspection items required before the reactor could reach criticality, of which 86 have been completed, confirming that the unit meets the conditions for safely achieving criticality.

2026-08-22

Automatic Shutdown of Unit 4 at South Korea's Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, Regulator Launches Investigation

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea reported on August 19 that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) had reported the same day that Unit 4 of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, located in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, automatically shut down at approximately 8:50 a.m. The NSSC stated that Unit 4 of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is currently in a stable condition. No abnormal alarms were triggered by on-site radiation monitors, and no leakage of radioactive materials to the outside environment has been detected. According to the notification, the NSSC's regional office for the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is conducting inspections of on-site safety conditions. The regulatory body also plans to dispatch an investigation team comprising experts from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) to the site to further confirm the cause of the automatic shutdown and related safety conditions.

2026-08-19

South Korea's Two Ministries Sign MOU to Promote Regulatory Cooperation for Nuclear Power Exports

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) signed a memorandum of understanding on the successful overseas expansion of Korean-style nuclear power plants at the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation in Jongno-gu, Seoul on August 13, planning to strengthen regulatory coordination in the nuclear power export process and provide more systematic nuclear safety regulatory cooperation support to countries hosting potential projects. Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly support export target countries in establishing nuclear safety regulatory frameworks, improving licensing procedures and technical standards, and enhancing the professional capabilities of regulatory bodies, based on the regulatory cooperation needs raised by these countries. The South Korean government is promoting nuclear power plant exports with a focus on potential markets in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, and the relevant countries are in the process of planning and...

2026-08-13

South Korea and Sweden Discuss Cooperation on High-Level Waste Disposal and SMR Regulation

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea announced on August 10 that it held a bilateral meeting with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) in Seoul, during which the two sides exchanged views on topics including high-level radioactive waste management, nuclear safety regulation, and the development of small modular reactors (SMRs). Sweden has accumulated strong technical expertise in the field of radioactive waste management and has developed a relatively mature technical system for high-level radioactive waste disposal. Currently, Sweden has 6 operating nuclear power units and 7 permanently shut down units, 6 of which are in the decommissioning phase. Following Finland, Sweden is constructing the world's second deep geological disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. The NSSC of South Korea...

2026-08-10

Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Conducts Safety Inspection at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant

Amid the ongoing heatwave, Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is closely monitoring safety inspections at domestic nuclear power plants. On August 6, Commission Chairman Choi Won-ho visited the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, for an on-site inspection. The primary purpose of this inspection was to verify whether the plant's safety systems can operate properly under continuously rising seawater temperatures. As rising seawater temperature is a factor that directly affects the cooling system, the Hanul plant conducted detailed checks on heat exchanger performance and thermometer conditions. Chairman Choi also held prior discussions via video conference with relevant nuclear agencies on response measures to high temperatures. During the subsequent on-site inspection, he reviewed...

2026-08-06