How South Korea is Strengthening Nuclear Safety: Key Achievements in 2026

Translation result.Nuclear Safety and Security Commission reports first-year gains: new reactor startups, life extensions, full-cycle safety system, SMR rules updated, anti-drone drills intensifiedThe Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said on the 20th it has established a safety-verification system covering the full lifecycle of nuclear plants—from new construction through extended operation to decommissioning. The commission also plans to strengthen defenses against physical threats, including drones.On the 19th, the NSSC held an on-site meeting at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in Ulju County, Ulsan. Officials reviewed the year’s major regulatory accomplishments and the current state of its disaster-response systems for nuclear incidents.Last November the NSSC approved the accident-management plan and granted a continued-operation license for Kori Unit 2, paving the way for reactor life extensions for the first time in a decade since Wolsong Unit 1. In the process, the commission upgraded severe-accident response capabilities to new-reactor standards and reestablished review criteria for nine other reactors whose design lives had expired or were near expiry.Chairman Choi Won-ho said, “We have established a safety-verification system across the full lifecycle of nuclear power plants, with results such as the operation approval for new Saeul Unit 3 and approval of the decommissioning plan for Korea’s first commercial reactor, Kori Unit 1.”The NSSC has also started building a regulatory framework for small modular reactors (SMRs) to keep pace with next-generation reactor technology. Last year it finalized rules for alternative application of technical standards and issued review guidelines, completing preparations for a standard-design certification review of the innovative small modular reactor (i-SMR). In February, the commission released an SMR regulatory roadmap to phase in changes to the current framework over the next five years, reflecting SMRs’ distinct characteristics compared with large reactors.Radiological-disaster response capabilities will be strengthened as well. When the Hanbit Regional Radiological Disaster Command Center opens next month, South Korea will have eight regional radiological disaster command facilities. The center will serve as an off-site response base located beyond a 30 km (18.6 mi) radius of a plant, to back up on-site command centers that could be paralyzed within 5–15 km (3.1–9.3 mi) in a simultaneous, cascading accident like Fukushima.With drone attacks emerging as a new security threat, the NSSC plans to prioritize related response drills this year. At the Saeul Unit 4 construction site, the commission publicly demonstrated a drill simulating an illegal drone intrusion. Saeul Unit 4, which reached 97.9% construction progress last month, is targeting completion in the second half of this year.Under the drill scenario, if an explosive-laden drone penetrates plant grounds, the operator must detect it with RF scanners and neutralize it using a portable jammer. If an explosion occurs, the operator must immediately notify relevant agencies and implement access control, firefighting, explosive analysis, and procedures to identify and apprehend the drone pilot. The NSSC will evaluate the operator’s performance across all these steps.Chairman Choi said, “The NSSC will continue to enforce rigorous, science-based safety regulation and maintain transparent communication so the public can have confidence in our nuclear and radiological safety management.”