Korea nuclear consultation body sets agenda for power-mix debate

The environment ministry said Thursday that a committee preparing public consultation on nuclear power's place in South Korea's long-term electricity plan has settled the theme of its deliberations and agreed to form an expert panel to supply the background material citizens will debate.

The committee, chaired by Eun Jae-ho, held its second meeting on Oct. 14 at the Power Infrastructure Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where it gave final approval to its operating rules. It adopted "What kind of electricity will we live on from now on?" as the main theme of the consultation and "The role and share of nuclear power in preparing for future electricity demand" as the sub-theme.

Members agreed to recruit no more than 10 specialists from the environmental, nuclear and neutral fields to write a deliberation handbook for the citizens' panel and produce online videos. Environmental groups and nuclear-related organizations are to recommend candidates, with the appointments to be confirmed by the next meeting.

The committee also listed four subjects that will stay outside the consultation: whether individual nuclear plants continue operating, which falls to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's safety review; individual nuclear projects whose sites are already fixed; the government's published renewable energy targets; and the selection of sites in specific regions. Detailed agenda items and survey questions are to be worked out from the next meeting.

"This deliberation is a process of finding together with the public the role and share of nuclear power in preparing for future electricity demand," Eun said, adding that he hoped it would mark a starting point for moving the nuclear question away from partisan and ideological framing.