The initial development plans for the six reactor designs, soon after the release of Generation IV International Forum (GIF) TRM in 2002, were characterized by high ambition [1]. Specifically, the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) and very-high temperature reactor (VHTR) gained significant attention and were expected to reach the validation stage by the 2020s, with commercial viability projected for the 2030s. However, these projections have been unrealized because of various factors. The development of reactor designs by the GIF was supposed to be influenced by events such as the 2008 global financial crisis, 2011 Fukushima accident [2, 3], discovery of extensive shale oil reserves in the United States, and overly ambitious technological targets. Consequently, the momentum for VHTR development reduced significantly. In this context, the aims of this study were to compare and analyze the development progress of the six Gen IV reactor designs over the past 20 years, based on the GIF roadmaps published in 2002 and 2014. The primary focus was to examine the prospects for the reactor designs in relation to spent nuclear fuel burning in conjunction with small modular reactor (SMR), including molten salt reactor (MSR), which is expected to have spent nuclear fuel management potential.

Since July 2021, the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency has been conducting a safety case development study for the Korean deep geological repository program. The safety case includes generating scenarios in which radioactive materials from spent nuclear fuel repository reach the human biosphere by combining selective FEPs (Features, Events, and Processes). This safety case should be able to transparently explain the process in which conclusions have been drawn not only to stakeholders but also to the public by presenting safety arguments. The scenario development stage consisting of FEP screening, scenario generation, and uncertainty analysis procedures should have a database management system. Database management system was performed in countries such as Sweden, which obtained approval for the construction of spent nuclear fuel repositories, and the United States, where various preliminary research was carried out. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute also has experience in designing and operating its own database, which has conducted preliminary research on disposal of the spent nuclear fuel. Currently, the safety assessment of the Korean spent nuclear fuel repository is in the early stages of research, but it is necessary to set up a basic framework for database design while the collection of FEP data from domestic and international preliminary studies is under development, and it is advantageous for efficient database construction and operation. Therefore, this paper presents the current status of database design considering completeness and transparency from the FEP screening stage to the scenario development stage in the safety assessment process of the Korean spent nuclear fuel repository. In this process, the functional requirements that the database should provide, the database schema capable of implementing them, and simple examples are presented together. The objectives of this database design are flexible FEPs management, high integrity and consistency, and expandability for linking with the safety case database. The FEP data to be inputted into the database includes a list of major opened FEPs, including International FEPs from Nuclear Energy Agency, which were referred for PFEPs (Project-specific FEPs), and PFEPs applied to POSIVA's Olkiluoto repository. As an additional function, queries from the database are used to visually express the process of deriving scenarios through Rock Engineering System, a widely known scenario generation methodology.

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has investigated Pyroprocessing technology in order to decrease the burden of disposal system and increase availability of useful radionuclides in the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for future. The treatment and the disposal of SNF, however, are very sensitive issues socially. In addition, under the energy transition policy phasing out nuclear energy gradually there have been demands for alternatives so far. Thus various alternatives should need to be investigated in preparation for unexpected situations. This study has been conducted roughly in effectiveness point of view of alternative pre-managements for SNF, not pyroprocessing technology, in disposal system, consisting of three stages according to the degree of burden in disposal system. Stage I is the case for making safety increase with removing highly-mobile radionuclides from SNF. Stage II is the case for eliminating high-heat radionuclides additionally, alleviating thermal risk in the disposal system. And Stage III is the case for recovering Uranium in addition to Stage II. These options of pre-management are thought to be able to provide an intuitive strategy for effective diversification of the disposal system. Because several types of waste form from pre-management make it possible to develop the effective, newly-composed waste disposal system according to the properties of radionuclides. And the processability of SNF through pre-management might be combination with available core-drilling technology, being able to design various disposal system as well. Even though the whole, detailed unit processes have not designed yet, mass balance and distributions of radionuclides are performed under the appropriate assumption of engineering processes. As a first step the alternative approaches for SNF pre-management for disposal system might be expected to be widely used in implementing SNF management policy in the future.

Since the commercial operation of Kori unit 1 in 1978, nuclear power has provided cheap, stable and clean electricity in South-Korea. For decades, the discussion about the spent fuel management has been dominated and the government is responsible for on-going research and development (R&D) related to long-term spent nuclear fuel management. The effective management of spent fuel should be applied from the early stage of the R&D process to licensing phases with the step-by-step evaluation system. As part of follow-up efforts after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the Nuclear Promotion Commission and Nuclear Safety Commission were divided in function as an independent agency for enhancing national nuclear safety and security, which aims to protect the public and environment from undue radiological hazard. The national spent fuel project must have a vibrant program for spent fuel management. Due to the nature of these projects, the establishment of a ‘conformity assessment’ system that collects the opinions from the licensing organisations on the results of research projects from the initial R&D stage should be applied advertently in order to efficiently conduct research projects and enhance public confidence. For the government-led project for spent nuclear fuel management, the adequacy and applicability of its technology R&D as well as its sustainability that includes financial, social and environmental performance measures should be evaluated in each stage. The institutionalisation arrangement, so called ‘conformity assessment system’ for the development of a national spent nuclear fuel management plan and related technology should be developed. This study aims to propose the basic principles for the introduction of the conformity assessment system: (1) national management responsibility, (2) spent fuel management project scope, (3) its management main principles, (4) project implementation system, (5) final management project scope and securing financial resources.

The ROK conducts several export procedures, communications in connection with transfers; exchange of information on export plan, shipments, and receipt of nuclear materials, in accordance with bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCA) and Administrative Arrangements (AA) signed with US, Canada, and Australia. Also, the inventory amount of items subject to NCA has reported annually. This study reviewed the export procedures and management methods for spent nuclear fuel subject to NCA. The re-transfer procedures start with obtaining consent from the original exporting country. It is impossible to retransfer nuclear material without consent, whether long-term or individual case-bycase. If the material has multiple obligations, prior consent from all of those countries is required. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the foreign obligated materials correctly. In general, nuclear fuel is subject to multiple obligations of all countries through which the materials have passed during the front-end fuel cycle. Then the new obligations are imposed on those irradiated materials or their by-products after ‘used-in’ or ‘produced through the use of ’ equipment subject to NCA. For example, fuel assemblies manufactured under CANDU fuel fabrication equipment subject to ROK-Canada NCA or burned in nuclear reactors where US equipment is installed have obligations based on Canada or US agreements. In order to impose obligation to irradiated materials, the principle of proportionality is applied as stipulated in each Agreement. According to the AA between US and ROK, nuclear materials used in the equipment transferred under the Agreement and produced through them are differently controlled. After the cycle in the reactor with US-made equipment, uranium in the irradiated fuel is considered a material used in the equipment. So it would be appropriate to apply obligation proportionality according to its origin, regardless the US-made equipment. Meanwhile, the obligation under US NCA is given to the entire amount of produced plutonium in the irradiated fuel. Although the contribution to the production of fuel is to be discussed case-by-case basis in the case of Canadian obligation, applying a similar method is proper. Since the fuel is burned in the form of bundles or assemblies, it is impossible to separate the spent fuel into uranium and plutonium physically. However, as discussed above, to clarify the rights and obligations pursuant to Agreement and ensure accuracy in inventory management, the obligation codes should be imposed on irradiated fuel as not a single item but separated individual substance of materials. Moreover, when an obligation swap occurs for the irradiated fuel, its movement and combustion history should be considered to prevent confusion in confirming multiple obligations and implementing export procedure.

사용후핵연료 관리 정책 결정에 있어 사회적 수용성은 중요한 의미를 갖는다. 본고에서는 그 역동적 과정을 담아낼 그릇으로서 공론장을 제안한다. 즉, 사용후핵연료 관리 정책에 대한 공론장은 무엇이고, 공론장의 주체인 이해관계자들은 누구이며 또 공론장에 내재된 갈등구조는 어떠한지에 대해 살펴보고, 바람직한 공론장의 조건에 대해 논의한다. 공론장은 다양한 이해관계자와 시민이 스스로의 의지를 바탕으로 정책의 결정과정에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 기제와 제도를 의미한다. 현실성 있고 효과적인 공론장을 구축하고 운영하기 위해서는 사용후핵연료 관리를 둘러싼, 정치, 외교안보, 경제, 사회문화, 법과 제도에 관한 면밀한 분석과 대응방안 마련이 필요하다.

캐나다 AECL이 사용후핵연료 관리 방법으로 심지층 처분 방식을 제시하였으나, Seaborn Panel은 이 방안에는 사회적 수용성이 결여되어 있음을 지적하였다. 이에 따라 캐나다는 사용후 핵연료 관리에 위해 보다 폭넓은 사람들의 참여를 유도할 수 있는 공론화 프로그램이 필요하다는 것을 인식하고 먼저 핵연료폐기물법 (Nuclear Fuel Waste Act, NFWA) 을 제정하였다. NFWA에 따라 Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) 가 설립되었다. 전문가들이 마련한 세 가지 관리 방법 가운데서 사회적으로 수용 가능하고 기술적으로 안전하며, 환경적으로 책임질 수 있고 경제적으로 실행 가능한 사용후핵연료 장기적 관리방안을 마련하는 것을 NWMO의 임무로 지정하였다. 그러나 이 세가지 관리 방안 중 어느 것도 적합하지 않다고 판단할 때는 제 4의 대안을 고려하는 예외 조항을 두었다. 결과적으로 NWMO는 위의 3가지 방안의 장점 및 특징을 바탕으로 하여 제 4의 대안인 Adaptive Phased Management (APM; 융통성 있는 단계적 관리) 방식을 제안하였다. 이 대안은 실행 단계에서라도 어떤 기술적 발전이나 변화가 생겼을 때 이를 받아들이도록 고안되었다. 캐나다의 사용후핵연료 공론화 과정은 연구 개발 프로그램이 사회적 수용성과 얼마나 깊게 연관되어 있는지를 잘 보여준다. 다시 말해, 비록 자세한 기술적인 연구 개발은 전문 과학자에 의해 수행되어야 하지만, 연구 개발의 객관적인 타당성 확보를 위해서는 대중을 의사 결정 과정에 참여시키고 대중의 의견을 수렴하는 것이 매우 중요하다. 또한 공정성, 공공의 건강과 안전, 안보, 적용성 등과 같은 원칙들을 확보하기 위하여 NWMO는 이와 같은 추상적인 개념들을 대중이 이해하도록 노력하였다. 가능한 많은 대중을 프로그램에 참여시키기 위하여 공론화 회의뿐 아니라 e-dialogue 등과 같이 다양한 의사소통 방법을 사용하였다. 현재 사용후핵연료 관리 방안을 둘러싸고 많은 어려움을 겪고 있는 우리나라의 입장에서 생각할 때, 캐나다 공론화 과정은 우리나라가 앞으로 적절한 사용후핵연료 관리 방안을 찾는 데 많은 교훈과 시사점을 제공할 수 있다. 결과적으로, 숙의적 참여방법의 하나인 공론화 방안이 우리나라에서도 사용후핵연료 문제를 해결하는 하나의 대안이 될 수 있을 것이다.

2005년말 현재, 전세계 32개국에서 443기의 원자력발전소가 운영되고 있다. 현재 전체발전량은 약 3,000 TWh이며 전세계 전력공급의 약 16 퍼센트를 차지하고 있다. 2004년말 사용후핵 연료는 전세계 원전의 발전용량 368 GWe에서 매년 11,000 tHM 정도 발생되고 있으며 현재 운영중인 대부분의 원전이 가동정지가 예상되는 2020년에는 445,000 tHM까지 예상되고 있다. 이러한 관점에서, 사용후핵 연료 관리는 전체 IAEA 회원국에게는 그들이 취하고 있는 후행핵 연료주기 정책과 전략에 관계없이 국제협력 등을 통해 가까운 장래에 시급히 그리고 반드시 해결해야 할 필수 사안임이 분명하다. 지난 2006년 5월 15일부터 2주간 제2차 방사성폐기물안전협약 체약국회의가 오스트리아 IAEA본부에서 개최되었다. 동 회의에서 사용후 핵연료에 대한 국가 정책 및 전략, 그리고 그들의 현황, 향후 전망, 정책에 일차적으로 고려한 인자와 이행내용 등이 심층논의되었으며, 향후 개별 국가의 노력 및 국제협력의 방향 등이 확인되었다. 본 논문에서는 상기협약에서 논의된 사용후핵 연료 관리에 대한 국가정책 및 향후 추세 둥을 자세히 기술하였다. 또한 주요국가의 최근 이행내용도 요약정리 하였다.