The Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) is the national accreditation body responsible for providing accreditation services to testing and calibration laboratories. The primary objective of KOLAS is to promote the quality and reliability of laboratory testing by providing nationally and internationally recognized accreditation services. Laboratories accredited by KOLAS are required to meet rigorous international standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and are subject to regular assessments to ensure ongoing compliance with the standards. KOLAS accreditation is highly regarded both domestically and internationally, and is recognized for providing high-quality and reliable testing services. The nuclear analysis laboratory at KINAC has been working to establish a quality management system to ensure the external reliability of analytical results and to secure its position as an authorized testing agency. To achieve this, a detailed manual and procedure for nuclear material analysis were developed to conform to the international standards of ISO/IEC 17025. This study presents the preparation process for establishing the management system, focusing on meeting technical and quality requirements for the implementation of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard in the KINAC nuclear analysis laboratory, specifically in the field of chemical testing (dosimetry, radioactive, and neutron measurement subcategories). The preparation process involved two tracks. The first track focused on satisfying technical requirements, with Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) selected as the major equipment for analysis. Analytical methods for determining isotope ratios and concentrations of nuclear materials were determined, and technical qualification was ensured through participation in proficiency test programs, inter-experimenter comparison tests, and uncertainty reports. The second track focused on developing the quality system, including quality manuals, procedures, and guidelines based on the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Various implementation documents were produced during the six-month pilot period, in accordance with the three levels of documents required by the standard. Implementation of ISO/IEC 17025 is expected to have a systematic quality management process for the analysis lab’s operations and to increase confidence in KINAC’s nuclear analysis.

Since the National R&D Innovation Act was enacted in 2022, it became a crucial issue how to qualify or improve R&D activities and disseminate their outcomes. Many organizations have referred to various quality management standards such as the American National Standards Institute/American Society for Quality (ANSI/ASQ) Z1.13, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Nuclear Quality Assurance-1 (ASME NQA-1), as a means to set up their own quality system. ISO is the international standard for implementing a quality management system (QMS), which provides a framework and principles for managing an organization’s QMS, with the aim of ensuring that the organization consistently provide products or services that meet regulatory requirements. ISO 9001 can cover all aspects of an organization’s operations, and it can also be expanded to include R&D areas. The introduction of ISO 9001 to R&D aims to improve R&D practices and establish a standardized process framework for conducting R&D. ANSI/ASQ Z1.13 provides quality guidelines for research and consists of 10 sections covering various aspects of research quality, emphasizing ethical conduct, clear objectives, reliable data collection, and analysis. ASME NQA-1 is one of quality assurance standards for nuclear facility applications, but it has been extended and applied to R&D activities in the nuclear fields. It just focuses on planning, procedures, documentation, competence, equipment, and material control. KINAC has conducted extensive research on verifying and regulating nuclear activities while providing support for national nonproliferation technologies and policies. In addition to the quantitative growth achieved so far, efforts are being made to establish a qualitative and integrated management system. As a first step to achieve this goal, this study reviewed international standards and methodologies for research quality and derived the key components for R&D quality management. Moreover, the appropriate outline of quality management system framework was proposed for R&D as a regulatory support process, based on the ISO 9001. The implementation of quality management standards and procedures for R&D in KINAC, which could lead to improved research practices, more reliable data collection and analysis and increased efficiency in conducting R&D activities.

About 83% of the information systems of administrative and public agencies are operated by agencies, and most of them are vulnerable to security due to the small scale of operation, insufficient facilities, and lack of dedicated personnel. To address these issues, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced in June 2021 that, as part of the “Second Basic Plan for E-Government,” all information systems of administrative and public agencies will be converted to a cloud-based integrated management operating environment by 2025 to provide stable public services. Accordingly, relevant laws and guidelines should be researched and analyzed to prepare for the cloud conversion of the Nuclear Export and Import Control System (NEPS) operated by the Export and Import Control Office of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). The Cloud Computing Act defines cloud computing, establishes a basic plan and implementation plan, provides support for promoting the adoption of cloud computing by state institutions, supports the construction of integrated information and communication facilities based on cloud computing technology, provides cost and technical support, and regulates cloud security certification, and applies the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection to protect personal information. The E-Government Act defines integrated standards and principles for information resources, support for the use of cloud computing services, classification standards for information resources, and integrated standards for calculating the size and capacity of information systems. The Notice on Standards for Using Cloud Computing Services and Securing Safety for Administrative Agencies and Public Institutions specifies the standards for using cloud computing services and measures to secure stability for administrative agencies, contracts for using cloud computing services, and ensuring continuity of cloud computing services. The Basic Guidelines on National Information Security stipulate the establishment and implementation of security measures, system security, user security, security management, information and communication network security separating internal network and internet network, and cloud computing security measures, and stipulate the NIS security review when introducing private cloud services. In order to convert NEPS to the cloud computing services, network, and software design plans, transfer plans, and cloud operation plans will be established in compliance with the relevant laws and guidelines. And future research will include researching the system status of major public and private cloud service providers and analyzing their advantages and disadvantages.