Minutes of the ROK's 1st Nuclear Security Summit (Year Month)

List of Key Chapter Titles

1. Member Report
2. Meeting Opening
3. Agenda Review: Construction Permit (Case) for Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 & 4
4. Agenda Review: Investigation Results Report on the Spent Fuel Storage Pool Cooling Water Leak Incident at Wolseong Unit 4
5. Explanation of Modifications and Supplementary Matters Related to the Construction Permit for Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 & 4
6. Response to Safety Assessment Related Materials for Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 & 4
7. Overview and Main Chronology of the Wolseong Unit 4 Leak Incident
8. Safety Assessment Results of the Cooling Water Leak from the Leak Incident
9. Causes of the Leak Incident and Related Investigation Results
10. Recurrence Prevention Measures for the Leak Incident
11. Follow-up Plan for the Leak Incident
12. Meeting Closing Declaration

Document Introduction

This document is the complete record of the 200th Nuclear Safety and Security Commission meeting of South Korea, held on September 12, 2024. Centered around two key agenda items, it serves as important primary source material for studying South Korea's nuclear safety regulatory system, nuclear power plant construction permit standards, and emergency response procedures for nuclear leakage incidents.

The primary agenda item was the review of the construction permit for Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 & 4. The application by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) is for an APR1400-type nuclear power plant with a designed thermal output of 3983MW and a service life of 60 years. The related application was submitted to this meeting after undergoing safety review by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) and prior examination by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's specialized subcommittee. The meeting focused on discussing the summary of the construction permit application, key milestones in the approval process, and modifications/supplements based on opinions from previous meetings, including adjustments to descriptions related to the reactor containment building, standardization of technical standard application descriptions, and corrections of technical terms.

The other core agenda item was the investigation results of the spent fuel storage pool cooling water leak incident that occurred at Wolseong Unit 4 on June 22, 2024. The meeting provided a detailed report on the incident's progression: the leak lasted for 2 hours and 19 minutes, with approximately 2.45 tons of cooling water leaking into the ocean via a heat exchanger. The cause was identified as a misalignment of a gasket during equipment disassembly inspection in April 2022, compounded by flow impact during pump replacement operation in June 2024, which led to the gasket's detachment. The investigation team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the leaked radioactive material concentration, its impact on the surrounding environment, and resident exposure doses, confirming that the dose of leaked radioactive material complied with relevant standards and did not cause significant impact on the environment or public health.

The meeting also featured in-depth discussions around the two major agenda items. Committee members raised questions and suggestions regarding the safety assessment methodology for the Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, the scope of application for PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment), and the reasonableness of recurrence prevention measures for the Wolseong Unit 4 leak incident. Relevant regulatory agencies and corporate representatives provided targeted responses.

This meeting record fully presents the procedural flow, regulatory standards, and technical details of nuclear safety decision-making in South Korea, providing an authoritative and detailed reference for analyzing the direction of South Korea's nuclear energy policy, its nuclear safety regulatory framework, and emergency response mechanisms.