• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.237-248
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• 2010

The safety of metal cask and concrete cask storage technology has been verified by CRIEPI through several research programs on demonstrative testing for the interim storage of spent fuel. The results have been reflected in the safety requirements for dry casks issued by NISA/METI (Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) of the Japanese government. On top of that, spent fuel integrity has been studied by the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES). This paper reviews these research programs. Future issues include the long-term integrity of cask components and high burn-up spent fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.376-385
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• 2021

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) has improved its elemental technologies used for assessing external events since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in 2011. HRA needs to be improved for analyzing tasks performed under extreme conditions (e.g., different actors responding to external events or performing operations using portable mitigation equipment). To make these improvements, it is essential to understand plant-specific and scenario-specific conditions that affect human performance. The Nuclear Risk Research Center (NRRC) of the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) has developed an HRA guide that compiles qualitative analysis methods for collecting plant-specific and scenario-specific conditions that affect human performance into "narratives," reflecting the latest research trends, and models for analysis of tasks under extreme conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.2660-2666
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• 2020

Korea successfully achieved energy independence in the shortest period of time from being the poorest country in terms of energy 50 years ago through steady development of nuclear technology. In the past, the nuclear industry has been driven through government-centered policy development, public institution-based research, and industrial facility and infrastructure construction. Consequently, South Korea became a nuclear energy powerhouse exporting nuclear power plants to the UAE, surpassing the level of domestic technological independence. However, in recent years, the nuclear industry in Korea has experienced a decline in new plant construction since the Fukushima accident in Japan, which caused changes in public perspectives regarding nuclear power plant operation, more stringent safety standards on the operation of nuclear power plants, and a shift in governmental energy policy. These changes are expected to change the domestic nuclear industry ecosystem. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the priority of technology development investment from the perspective of experts in private nuclear power companies, shifting the focus from government-led nuclear R&D policies. To establish a direction in nuclear technology development, a survey was conducted by applying an analytic hierarchy analysis to experts who have worked in nuclear power plants for more than 15 years. The analysis items of focus were the 3 attributes of strategic importance, urgency, and business feasibility of four major fields related to nuclear energy: nuclear safety, decommissioning, radioactive waste management, and strengthening industrial competitiveness.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.200-210
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• 1985

A brief overview of the current status of Korean nuclear power development is first presented. The necessity of nuclear energy in Korea is then clarified. After presentation of these overview, the major issues of the Korean nuclear industry, such as the major obstacles for nuclear power development and the most weak areas of the Korean nuclear industry, are identified and discussed. Finally, as a conclusion, actions to be taken by the government and the nuclear industry in conjunction with increased nuclear power generation in Korea are presented.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study is to suggest some improvement ideas based on the validity and the reliability analyses of the current safety culture measurement method applied to the Korean nuclear power industry. Background: Wrong safety culture is known as one of the major causes of the disasters such as the space shuttle Columbia disaster or the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident. Assessment of safety culture of an organization is important to build a safer organizational environment as well as to identify the risks hidden in the organization. Method: A face validity of the current safety culture measurement method was analyzed by comparison of the key factors of safety culture in the Korean nuclear power industry with those factors reviewed in the previous studies. The current interview method was analyzed to identify the problems which degrade the consistency of evaluation. Results: Most safety culture factors reviewed in the literatures are covered in the list of the Korean nuclear power industry safety culture factors. However the unstructured questions used in the interview may result in inconsistency of safety culture evaluation among interviewers. Conclusion: This study suggests some examples which might improve the consistency of interviewers' evaluation on safety culture such as a post interview evaluation form. Application: An extended post interview evaluation form might help to increase the accuracy of the interviewing method for Korean nuclear industry safety culture evaluation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.851-852
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2001

In this study, we tried to build a model which can deal with the efficient and effective operation of electric power industry, especially focused on the nuclear industry. Here, SD (System Dynamics) approach is used to visualize the underlying phenomenon of the nuclear power industry. SD is a methodology for studying and managing complex feedback systems, such as one finds in business and other social systems. The spend of SD applications has grown extensively and now encompasses work in corporate planning and policy design, public management and policy, biological and medical modeling, energy and the environment. Recently, according to the report from KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation), they are considering delaying a new power plant construction. It may be based upon business fluctuation downsized from Korean economic crisis in 1997 and freezing of construction funds due to unstable foreign exchange rate. At this point, we need disparately a kind of strategic model that would contribute to cope with the current business situation, energy generation, production, and resulting pollution. Specifically, this model, using SD approach, starts with the detailed drawing of influence diagram, which describes those relevant key points on nuclear power generation systems in electric power industry of Korea. These include such factors as the operation of nuclear industry and parameters related to the decision making for business policy. Based upon the above-mentioned influence diagram drawn, we developed SD simulation model to evaluate and analyze strategic management of KEPCO. Based on our analysis, we could demonstrate how simulation model can be applied to the real electric power generation in Korea.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.153-171
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• 2003

In this study, we tried to build a model which can deal with the efficient and effective operation of electric power industry, especially focused on the nuclear industry. Here, SD(system Dynamics) approach is used to visualize the underlying phenomenon of the nuclear power industry. SD is a methodology for studying and managing complex feedback systems, such as one finds in business and other social systems, The span of SD applications has grown extensively and now encompasses work in corporate planning and policy design, public management and policy, biological and medical modeling, energy and the environment. Recently, according to the report from KEPCO(Korea Electric Power Corporation), they are considering delaying a new power plant construction. It may be based upon business fluctuation downsized from Korean economic crisis in 1997 and freezing of construction funds due to unstable foreign exchange rate. At this point, we need desperately a kind of strategic model that would contribute to cope with the current business situation, energy generation, Production, and resulting Pollution. Specifically, this model, using SD approach, starts with the detailed drawing of influence diagram, which describes those relevant key points on nuclear power generation systems in electric power industry of Korea. These include such (actors as the operation of nuclear industry and parameters related to the decision making for business policy. Based upon the above-mentioned influence diagram drawn, we developed SD simulation model to evaluate and analyze strategic management of KBPCO. Based on our analysis, we could demonstrate how simulation model can be applied to the real electric power generation in Korea.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2020

Nuclear power plants have a lower cost of power generation, and they are more eco-friendly than other power generation plants. Also, we need to prepare nuclear plant accidents because of their severe damage. In the event of a safety accident, such as a radiation leak, by applying a wireless sensor network to a nuclear power plant, many sensor nodes can be used to monitor radiation and transmit information to an external base station to appropriately respond to the accident. However, applying a wireless sensor network to nuclear power plants requires routing protocols that consider the sensor network size and bypass obstacles such as plant buildings. In general, the hierarchical-based routing protocols are efficient in energy consumption. In this study, we look into the problems that may occur if hierarchical-based routing protocols are applied to nuclear power plants and propose improved routing protocols to solve these problems. Simulation results show that the proposed routing protocol is more effective in energy consumption than the existing LEACH protocol.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.176-202
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• 1999

Korea has exerted her efforts to assimilate nuclear power technology, and reportedly localized 95 percent of nuclear power technology by 1995. This paper investigates the evolution of nuclear power program in Korea to exploit the development process of the nuclear power industry and key factors for the technological localization of nuclear power plant. In developing countries, an imitative catching-up process can be shown as a course for developing the absorptive capacity of foreign technology, which depends on prior knowledge base and the intensity of effort. The process of technological learning consists of five stages including preparation, implementation of foreign technology, acquisition of peripheral technology, acquisition of core technology, and improvement f foreign technology. Moreover, this paper discusses six essential factors that have influenced the successful achievement of technological localization of nuclear power plants in Korea. They include the role and strategies of the government, the leading role of utility firm, the development and cooperation of the related organizations, the development of human resources and their efforts, market conditions and the assistance of foreign donors, and social conditions. Finally, this paper discusses about implications offered by the Korean experience for other developing countries.