With support from the Korea Foundation, Open Nuclear Network conducted a year-long study examining these risks using multi-lingual open-source research, satellite imagery, archival research, expert interviews and an international expert workshop. The report assesses risks at the system, facility and environmental levels, while distinguishing what available evidence can and cannot tell us.
Key Findings
- Risks exist across the nuclear fuel cycle. These range from chronic contamination associated with uranium mining and milling to potential loss of containment, reactor safety concerns, and spent-fuel and radioactive-waste management.
- The most likely environmental consequences are local or near-site. Wider impacts are possible depending on the type and scale of release and environmental pathway, but significant transboundary effects generally require more severe scenarios.
- Ageing infrastructure and environmental stressors may compound existing vulnerabilities. Flooding and extreme weather can interact with facility conditions and waste-management challenges, underscoring the need to consider these risks together.
- Limited transparency complicates nuclear safety assessment. Satellite imagery and other open sources can identify observable vulnerabilities, but cannot reveal internal conditions, working practices or the effectiveness of safety systems.
