Recently, the status of North Korea’s denuclearization has become an international issue, and there are also indications of potential nuclear proliferation among neighboring countries. So, the need for establishment of nuclear activity verification technology and strategy is growing. In terms of ensuring verification completeness, sample collection-based analysis is essential. The concepts of Chain of Custody (CoC) and Continuity of Knowledge (CoK) can be defined in the process of sample extraction as follows: CoC is interpreted as the ‘system for managing the flow of information subjected by the examinee’, and CoK is interpreted as the ‘Continuity of information collection through CoC subjected by the inspector’. In the case of sample collection process in unreported areas for nuclear activity verification, there are additional risks such as worker exposure/kidnapping or sample theft/tampering. Therefore, the introduction of additional devices might be required to maintain CoC and CoK in the unreported area. In this study, an Environmental Geometrical Data Transfer (EGDT) was developed to ensure the safety of workers and the CoC/CoK of the samples during the collection process. This device was designed for achieving both mobility and rechargeability. It is categorized into two modes based on its intended users: sample mode and worker mode. Through the sensors, which is positioned in the rear part of device, such as radiation, gyroscope, light, temperature, humidity and proximity sensors, it can be easily achievable various environmental information in real-time. Additionally, GPS information can also be received, allowing for responsiveness to various hazardous scenarios. Moreover, the OLED display positioned on the front gives us for checking device information such as the current status of the device such as the battery level, the connectivity of wifi, and etc. Finally, an alarm function was integrated to enable rapid awareness during emergency situations. These functions can be updated and modified through Arduino-based firmware, and both the device and the information collected through it can be remotely controlled via custom software. Based on the presented design conditions, a prototype was developed and field assessments were conducted, yielding results within an acceptable margin of error for various scenarios. Through the application of the EGDT developed in this study to the sample collection process for nuclear activity verification purposes, it is expected to achieve a stable maintenance of CoC/CoK through more accurate information transmission and reception.

The National R&D Innovation Act emphasizes the improvement of the quality of R&D activities. The research institute is making efforts to improve the quality of research and effectively manage research implementation. KINAC has conducted various R&D projects regarding nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security, and their scope and scale have been gradually more widened and increased. It consequently becomes important how to successfully manage research projects and ensure their qualification with the growth and complexity of research in KINAC. Unfortunately, no attempt was made to introduce and apply project management methodologies. Therefore, the objective of this study is to introduce project management standards and guidelines as an initial step towards improving the overall research quality of the institute. Project management is the well-organized application of knowledge and techniques to efficiently and effectively initiate, plan, control, and close projects, in order to achieve specific goals and meet success criteria. There are some guidelines regarding project management, including PMBOK (the Project Management Body of Knowledge), PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments), ISO 21500 (Guidance on Project Management), and PMP (Project Management Professionals), etc. They are international standards that consist of processes, guidelines, and best practices for project management. They provide structured processes and approaches to plan, execute, monitor, control, and complete projects. By reviewing the guidelines, the commonly important factors, including schedule, cost, quality, resources, communication, and risk management were introduced to apply to KINAC R&D project implementation. In addition to the management standards, systematic efforts are also continued to enhance the R&D qualities of the institute. These efforts include the implementation of a quality management system (ISO 9001:2015), development of an integrated research achievements management system, regulation development, and distribution of guidebooks for project managers and researchers. These efforts have been evaluated as improving the quality of the research.

ISO 9001:2005 is the international standard for implementing a Quality Management System (QMS), which provides a framework and principles for managing an organization’s quality management. The aim is to ensure that the organization continuously provides products and services that satisfy regulatory requirements. The “process approach” in ISO 9001 is defined as a systematic method of achieving organizational goals by comprehending and managing the interconnected processes as a cohesive system. Recently, KINAC has decided to develop standard processes in the field of R&D and performance management based on the framework of the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. The objective of this study is to establish standardized processes for conducting research and development, as well as managing the outputs and performance of R&D activities. It involves identifying, designing, implementing, monitoring, and continually improving processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and effective management of KINAC R&D and its achievements. Firstly, R&D and the research performance management process were defined, and the processes were categorized by function according to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. Second, the ISO 9001 requirements were compared to the institute’s existing regulations and documents in order to identify any additional processes and procedures needed to meet the quality management requirements. Finally, the lists of quality documentation were determined for the institute’s QMS. As a result, a total of 30 QMS documents were listed, including 1 manual, 12 quality processes and procedures, and 17 quality instructions. The documents can be categorized into four process groups: the management and planning process group, the R&D and achievements management process group, the analysis and improvement process group, and the support process group. All input and output information of each process are connected and interrelated. The implementation of quality management standards and procedures for R&D in KINAC could lead to improved research practices, more reliable data collection and analysis, and increased efficiency in conducting R&D activities. For further study, it is planned to create detailed, high-quality documents that adhere to standard requirements and guidelines.

Our research team has developed a gamma ray detector which can be distributed over large area through air transport. Multiple detectors (9 devices per 1 set) are distributed to measure environmental radiation, and information such as the activity and location of the radiation source can be inferred using the measured data. Generally, radiation is usually measured by pointing the detector towards the radioactive sources for efficient measurement. However, the detector developed in this study is placed on the ground by dropping from the drone. Thus, it does not always face toward the radiation source. Also, since it is a remote measurement system, the user cannot know the angle information between the source and detector. Without the angle information, it is impossible to correct the measured value. The most problematic feature is when the backside of the detector (opposite of the scintillator) faces the radiation source. It was confirmed that the measurement value decreased by approximately 50% when the backside of the detector was facing towards the radiation source. To calibrate the measured value, we need the information that can indicate which part of the detector (front, side, back) faces the source. Therefore, in this study, we installed a small gamma sensor on the backside of the detector to find the direction of the detector. Since this sensor has different measurement specifications from the main sensor in terms of the area, type, efficiency and measurement method, the measured values between the two sensors are different. Therefore, we only extract approximate direction using the variation in the measured value ratio of the two sensors. In this study, to verify the applicability of the detector structure and measurement method, the ratio of measured values that change according to the direction of the source was investigated through MCNP simulation. The radioactive source was Cs-137, and the simulation was performed while moving in a semicircular shape with 15 degree steps from 0 degree to 180 degrees at a distance of 20 cm from the center point of the main sensor. Since the MCNP result indicates the probability of generating a pulse for one photon, this value was calculated based on 88.6 μCi to obtain an actual count. Through the ratio of the count values of the two sensors, it was determined whether the radioactive source was located in the front, side, or back of the probe.

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.

With the introduction and implementation of the National Research and Development Innovation Act in 2021, researchers are required to have a greater understanding of research ethics and to comply more strictly. The range of misconduct in research and the standards for sanctions have been expanded with the introduction of the National Research and Development Innovation Act. In addition, researchperforming institutions and specialized agencies have been obligated to establish their own research management systems and standards according to the changed criteria. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC), a nuclear regulatory authority that is conducting national R&D in related fields, has sought to strengthen research ethics by revising related regulations, introducing a plagiarism detection system, and expanding related education in accordance with these policies. In this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of the plagiarism detection system as a basic quality control measure for research results and a tool for enhancing research ethics, which was introduced. KINAC did not simply introduce a plagiarism detection program but established institutional improvements and other regulatory measures to support it, with the aim of more effectively managing research results. To analyze the effectiveness of this system, we calculated the plagiarism rate by sampling 30 papers each year for the three years before the introduction of the plagiarism detection system. When comparing the plagiarism rates before and after the introduction of the plagiarism detection system, no exceptional cases of high plagiarism rates were found in papers published after the introduction of the system. Although most of the papers before the introduction of the system showed a satisfactory plagiarism rate, some cases showed high plagiarism rates. We analyzed the cause of such cases in detail. Some exceptional cases were also found to be included in the range of misconduct regulated by the National Research and Development Innovation Act. As no such cases were found after the introduction of the system, we could infer that the system is effectively functioning as a tool for basic quality control and enhancing research ethics. In the future, we plan to expand the sample qualitatively and quantitatively by including other forms of outcomes published by the institution, not just papers, and conduct a more detailed analysis. Based on the results, we will develop various improvement plans for enhancing the quality and research ethics of the institution’s research results.

In emergency situations such as nuclear accidents or terrorism, radioactive and nuclear materials can be released by some environmental reasons such as the atmosphere and underground water. To secure the safety of human beings and to respond appropriately emergency situation, it is required to designate high and low dose rate regions in the early stages by analyzing the location and radioactivity of sources through environmental radiation measurement. This research team has developed a small gamma probe which is featured by its geometrical accessibility and higher radiation sensitivity than other drone detectors. A plastic scintillator and Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) were applied to the probe to optimize the wireless measurement condition. SiPM has a higher gain (higher than 106) and lower operating voltage (less than 30 V) compared to a general photodiode. However, the electronic components in the SiPM are sensitively affected by temperature, which causes the performance degradation of the SiPM. As the SiPM temperature increases, the breakdown voltage (VBD) of the SiPM also increases, so the gain must be maintained by applying the appropriate VBD. Therefore, when the SiPM temperature increases while the VBD is fixed, the gain decreases. Thus, the signal does not exceed the threshold voltage (VTH) and the overall count is reduced. In general, the optimal gain is maintained by cooling the SiPM or through a temperature compensation circuit. However, in the developed system, the hardware correction method such as cooling or temperature compensation circuit cannot be applied. In this study, it was confirmed that the count decreased by up to 20% according to the increase in the temperature of the SiPM when the probe was operated at room temperature (26°C). We propose methods to calibrate the total count without cooling device or compensation circuit. After operating the probe at room temperature, the first measured count is set as the reference value, and the correction factor is derived using the tendency of the count to decrease as the temperature increases. In addition, since this probe is used for environmental radiation monitoring, periodic measurements are more suitable than continuous measurements. Therefore, the temperature of the probe can be maintained by adding a power saving interval to the operation sequence of the probe. These two methods use the operation sequence and measurement data, respectively. Thus, it is expected to be the most effective method for the current system where the temperature compensation through hardware is not possible.

When the nuclear accident like the Fukushima is occurred, it is required to immediately determine the location of radioactive materials and their activities. Various studies related the unmanned technique to detect and characterize the contaminated area have been conducted. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) has developed a new gamma detection system which consists of nine probes using a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and plastic scintillator. The probe is the small gamma detector designed to be carried and dropped near the accident area by the unmanned aerial vehicle. In this paper, we developed the improved design related to the angular dependence of the radioactive contamination detection system with the purpose of increasing the detection efficiency. The detection efficiency, radiation shielding and back-scattering varies depending on the direction of incidence of radiation because the probe has vertical structure of consisting scintillator, photomultiplier, and electric circuits. That is, when the experimental conditions are same except the direction of gamma probe, the result of measurements is different. It causes errors in measuring the radioactivity and location of the radioactive source. Since the direction of the probe is arbitrarily determined during the deployment of the probe through the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is considered changing the design of the scintillator from a conventional 1.0" × 1.0" Φ cylindrical shape to a 1.0" Φ spherical shape. In case of using the spherical scintillator, it is confirmed that angular dependence was reduced through MCNP simulation. The difference in the measurement depending on the direction of the probe could be reduced through additional structure design. Finally, we hope that the developed detection system which has the probes with spherical shape of scintillator can measure the radioactivity and location of the radioactive source in a range of about 100 × 100 m2 by measuring for at least 5 minutes. The field test at Fukushima area will be carried out with JAEA members in order to prove the feasibility of the new system.

In Korea, nuclear regulation is supervised by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC). The area that required expertise in regulatory activities has been entrusted to the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) affiliated to the NSSC. Such nuclear regulatory activities should be implemented fairly and objectively because they directly affect nuclear operators and the entire nuclear industry. In addition, as the recent policy trend has flowed in the direction of improving the business efficiency and quality of public institutions, a study was intended to improve the overall regulatory quality of the institution. First, a case study was performed on the quality management system of domestic and foreign related organizations, including the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the US. Through study and analysis of the system, it was attempted to derive institutional quality requirements for KINAC and to establish a plan to use the requirements as major items of Internal Quality Control (IQC) system. By analyzing the quality management systems of research institutes such as Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) as well as regulatory authority, the characteristics of KINAC that conduct R&D necessary for regulation were reflected. Based on this study, the quality management system leading to IQC-EQA (External Quality Assurance) -TQM (Total Quality Management) will be established continuously to improve the business quality of regulatory authority.

It is still questionable if the Nuclear Damage Compensation Act can be applied to security accidents on nuclear facilities caused by hacking or drone attacks. If the Act is applied, the nuclear operator shall be liable for compensation for the damage even if there is no negligence, and no other person shall be liable. If it is not, victims must prove the negligence of nuclear operators and not only nuclear operators but also suppliers must be responsible. According to Article 5 of this Act, a nuclear operator cannot operate a reactor before signing liability insurance contract or a compensation contract or depositing in order to compensate for nuclear damage. The liability insurance contract includes the hacking accident, but it is not applied to drone attacks since only hacking accident is included in design basis accidents. However, Article 2 of this Act defines a nuclear accident as an event that may cause nuclear damage so it can be said that the ‘event’ includes intentional attacks. Article 3 stipulates that nuclear operators are not liable for compensation for damages caused by armed conflicts, hostile acts between countries, or civil war or rebellion. Therefore, if nuclear power plant is attacked by missiles from North Korea, the nuclear operator is not liable for compensation. And, it can be interpreted that the nuclear operator is liable for compensation for damages caused by actions of a third party that do not fall under this category. According to the Act on Indemnity Agreement For Nuclear Damage Compensation, nuclear damage caused during normal operation is included in the scope of compensation, but damage caused by actions of third parties is excluded. In the end, damage caused by actions of third parties is included in the scope of nuclear damage, but not included in the loss compensated by the government. According to the Act on Physical Protection, the Nuclear Safety & Security Commission is required to establish a design basis threat that is the standard for designing and evaluating physical protection systems. Therefore, it is reasonable to include the contents of design basis threats in liability insurance, or to apply the principle of no negligence liability and focus of responsibility to protect victims, if not.