China, Korea extend nuclear safety cooperation

Monday, 30 November 2015

The nuclear regulators of China and South Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to reinforce their cooperation in nuclear safety.

The signing of the MOU between NSSC and NNSA (Image: NSSC)

Following a meeting in Beijing on 26 November, the head of China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), Lee Ganjie, and the chairman of South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), Lee Unchul, signed the MOU.

In a statement, the NSSC said the purpose of the MOU is to "strengthen mutual collaboration in order to ratchet up the level of safety in the area of nuclear energy".

Among the areas of cooperation under the MOU are: research and development of nuclear safety technology; nuclear safety regulation and the compilation and implementation of safety regulations; safety inspections of nuclear power plants; and nuclear power plant construction and operating experience feedback. It also covers equipment supervision and administration; nuclear emergency preparedness; radiation monitoring and protection; safety in radioactive waste management; as well as other areas that could be mutually agreed upon later.

The cooperation is to be carried out through the exchange of information and staff, as well as by launching joint studies, NSSC said.

In addition to the MOU, the NSSC and NNSA also signed a specific agreement on environmental radiation monitoring. Through this agreement they will jointly investigate environmental radiation and assess its impact under both normal and emergency circumstances. Over the next three years, China and South Korea will collaborate in the exchange of environmental radiation analysis technologies and monitoring documents and establish a system that enables them to share real-time information on environmental radiation.

A separate cooperation agreement was also signed the same day between the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) and China's National Emergency Response Technical Assistance Centre (NNERTAC). Under that agreement, KINS and NNERTAC will strengthen their bilateral cooperation in nuclear safety technology.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News