• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-67
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• 2015

This essay aims to search for the reason of why, even after Fukushima nuclear disaster, Korean citizens did not try to seek out the possibility of another energy option. Firstly, we single two counter-concepts, the configuration of risk communication and scientific citizenship, out from the measure of frequency of co-occurrence key-terms and the analysis of survey on the citizens' scientific perception each. Secondly, we try to interpret the meaning of qualitative data, and finally, we draw out the result as follow. Korean government have driven out the pro-nuclear policy, and in this course have made full use of the discourse of there-is-no-alternative-option. We need to take an attention to the reason of why the discourse can circulate freely in society. From one data, we find out that the configuration of risk communication guarantee government's success. But we also should look at the another side, the scientific citizenship. From another data, we find out that the upstream scientific citizenship, the momentum of preparing alternative, has not been mature, and it is reason of why the discourse have an strong influence.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2000

Nuclear fuel cycle choices and costs are important in considering energy policies, fuel diversity, security of supply and associated social and environmental impacts. Particularly, the nuclear spent fuel is very important in view of high activity and the need of long term management. This study focuses on the comparison of reprocessing and direct disposal of nuclear spent fuel in terms of cost, safety and public acceptability. The results of the study show that the direct disposal is about 7% more economical than the reprocessing. In terms of safety, the results show that the risk of vitrified HLW (high-level radioactive waste) is less than directly disposed spent fuel. For the public acceptability, both of the methods are not well understood and therefore they are not accepted. In conclusion, it is necessary to guarantee the safety of the both spent fuel processing methods through continuous development of associated technology and to have a fuel cycle policy which should consider not only the economics but also social and environmental impacts.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2023

The study is to estimate the social costs of premature deaths due to nuclear power plant(NPP) accidents, by resorting to the contingent valuation method(CVM) which is used to estimate the value of a statistical life(VSL). The VSL estimate is about 3.55 billion won, which is multiplied by some 1.8 million premature deaths due to the accidents in world history of NPP, to get a maximum social cost of 1,952 trillion won. This estimate is equivalent to the 2022 real GDP of Korea. The annual average number of premature deaths and the resulting average social cost is 26,000 and 28 trillion won, respectively. The social cost of premature deaths due not only to accidents, but also the air pollutants from fired power plants(FPP) during 1987~2021 is estimated to be 26,919 trillion won. This is equivalent to 2021 US GDP, and is about 3,000 times higher than that for NPP of 9 trillion won. In 2021, the estimated social costs of FPP and NPP are 1,075 trillion won and 292 billion won, respectively. For South Korea, the study suggests to adapt an energy mix of increased share of electricity production for NPP relative to FPP, given that the 2050 carbon neutrality strategy of Korea is expected to lead to an increased share of renewable energy in electricity production. The study emphasizes accumulating the number of CVM-based VSL studies to ensure efficient energy policies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.326-332
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• 2018

Korea faces major changes in energy policy, which include eco-friendly and zero-nuclear power. On the other hand, there are very few policies for the waste-management of mid- to large-sized lithium-ion batteries, such as electric car batteries and energy storage systems, which are expected to increase explosively due to such energy policy changes. Therefore, this study estimated the amount of mid- to large-sized lithium ion batteries waste and performed economics analysis of a middle and large sized secondary battery recycling project. Based on the results, a policy alternative for the revitalization of the related lithium-ion battery recycling industry is suggested. As a result, the B / C ratio of a domestic mid - to large - sized lithium ion battery recycling project is 1.06, in which the benefit is higher than the cost, so the business is economic feasible. Although the recycling project's economic efficiency is high, the recycling industry has not been activated in Korea because the domestic demand for rechargeable batteries recycling is very low. To solve this problem, this study proposes a plan to activate the industry by adding lithium secondary batteries to the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) items.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.55-84
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• 2015

Korea is one of the few OECD countries having no binding Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Korea is going to enforce a powerful greenhouse gas emissions control to the industry from 2015. Current GHG reduction policies do not take into account the trade-off between economic growth and GHG mitigation, this approach will not be sustainable. Sectoral approach, considering industry by industry may be more eco-friend approach. This study verified the validity of the analysis results counted from whole procedure of energy input-output analysis and decomposition analysis to sector 'Organic basic chemical products' and 'Cement and concrete products'. Empirical test was performed using changes in energy consumption, production, process improvements and new facilities. Although the results showed unstable fluctuations from Divisia index decomposition analysis, it was verified that the entire procedure can provide a clue in understanding of the industry's energy and GHG footprint.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.285-292
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• 2006

Thermoresistant (TR) clones of radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) cells have been reported to show an adaptive response to 1cGy of low dose radiation, and HSP25 and inducible HSP70 are involved in this process. In this study, to further elucidate the mechanism by which HSP25 and inducible HSP70 regulate the adaptive response, HSP25 or inducible HSP70 overexpressed RIF cells were irradiated with 1cGy and the cell cycle was analyzed. HSP25 or inducible HSP70 overexpressed cells together with TR cells showed increased G1 phase after 1cGy irradiation, while RIF cells did not. $[^3H]-Thymidine$ and BrdU incorporation also indicated that both HSP25 and inducible HSP70 are involved in G1 arrest after 1cGy irradiation. Molecular analysis revealed upregulation of p27Cip/Kip protein in HSP25 and inducible HSP70 overexpressed cells, and cotransfection of p27Cip/Kip antisense abolished the induction of the adaptive response and 1cGy-mediated G1 arrest. The above results indicate that induction of an adaptive response by HSP25 and inducible HSP70 is mediated by upregulation of p27Cip/Kip protein, resulting in low dose radiation-induced G1 arrest.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2017

Background: Simultaneous detection of neutrons and gamma rays have become much more practicable, by taking advantage of good gamma-ray discrimination properties using pulse shape discrimination (PSD) technique. Recently, we introduced a commercial CLYC system in Korea, and performed an initial characterization and simulation studies for the CLYC detector system to provide references for the future implementation of the dual-mode scintillator system in various studies and applications. Materials and Methods: We evaluated a CLYC detector with 95% $^6Li$ enrichment using various gamma-ray sources and a $^{252}Cf$ neutron source, with validation of our Monte Carlo simulation results via measurement experiments. Absolute full-energy peak efficiency values were calculated for gamma-ray sources and neutron source using MCNP6 and compared with measurement experiments of the calibration sources. In addition, behavioral characteristics of neutrons were validated by comparing simulations and experiments on neutron moderation with various polyethylene (PE) moderator thicknesses. Results and Discussion: Both results showed good agreements in overall characteristics of the gamma and neutron detection efficiencies, with consistent ~20% discrepancy. Furthermore, moderation of neutrons emitted from $^{252}Cf$ showed similarities between the simulation and the experiment, in terms of their relative ratios depending on the thickness of the PE moderator. Conclusion: A CLYC detector system was characterized for its energy resolution and detection efficiency, and Monte Carlo simulations on the detector system was validated experimentally. Validation of the simulation results in overall trend of the CLYC detector behavior will provide the fundamental basis and validity of follow-up Monte Carlo simulation studies for the development of our dual-particle imager using a rotational modulation collimator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.284-289
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• 2005

According to the nuclear safety regulation policy including the administration of radionuclides in low level radwastes, the evaporator bottoms were mixed with cement to form a stable solidification for identifying the recovery possibility of the C-14. The chemical oxidation method was applied for the extraction of C-14 from the cement waste form. The emitting beta ray of the C-14 extracted from the radwastes was measured with the liquid scintillation counter and calculated by using the quenching correction curves. Only the beta emitting radioactive nuclides of the C-14 in the radwastes was showed the radioactivities with the range of $2.7E+00\;{\sim}\;3.07E+02$ Bq/g.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-54
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• 2007

Nuclear Power Sources(NPS) have been used since 1961 for the purpose of generating energy for space objects and have since then been recognized as particularly suited essential to some space operations. In January 1978 a malfuctioning Soviet nuclear powered satellite, Cosmos 954, re-entered the earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, scattering radioactive debris over a wide area of the Canadian Northwest Territory. This incident provided some reasons to international legal scholars to make some principles to regulate using NPS in outer space. In 1992 General Assembly adopted "Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space". These NPS Principles set out certain legal and regulatory requirements on the use of nuclear and radioactive power sources for non-propulsive purposes. Although these principles, called 'soft laws', are not legal norms, they have much enfluences on state practices such as 1983 DBS Principles(Principles Governing the Use by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting), 1986 RS Principles(Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Space) and 1996 Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interests of all States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries. As far as 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space is concerned the main points such as free use of outer space, non-appropriation of celestial bodies, application of international law to outer space etc. have become customary international law binding all states. NPS Principles might have similar characters according to states' willingness to respect them.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• no.spc
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• pp.35-58
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• 2007

Nuclear Power Sources(NPS) have been used since 1961 for the purpose of generating energy for space objects and have since then been recognized as particularly suited essential to some space operations. In January 1978 a malfuctioning Soviet nuclear powered satellite, Cosmos 954, re-entered the earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, scattering radioactive debris over a wide area of the Canadian Northwest Territory. This incident provided some reasons to international legal scholars to make some principles to regulate using NPS in outer space. In 1992 General Assembly adopted "Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space". These NPS Principles set out certain legal and regulatory requirements on the use of nuclear and radioactive power sources for non-propulsive purposes. Although these principles, called 'soft laws', are not legal norms, they have much enfluences on state practices such as 1983 DBS Principles(Principles Governing the Use by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting), 1986 RS Principles(Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Space) and 1996 Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interests of all States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries. As far as 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space is concerned the main points such as free use of outer space, non-appropriation of celestial bodies, application of international law to outer space etc. have become customary international law binding all states. NPS Principles might have similar characters according to states' willingness to respect them.