Korean Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy Mr. Ungyu Paik visited SÚJB

The Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy of the Republic of Korea Mr. Ungyu Paik accompanied by Mr. Kwansup Lee, Prezident & CEO, KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CO., Ltd) and other representatives of Korean institutions dealing with nuclear power, visited the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) on 30 November 2017.

The Korean delegation met the SÚJB Chairperson Ms. Dana Drábová and other SÚJB authorities.  They appreciated previous cooperation and exchanged the basic information about responsibilities and competencies of their regulatory bodies. Mr. Ungyu Paik stressed that the Korean NSSC (Nuclear Safety and Security Commission) was newly subordinated to the Korean president in order to strength his independence.

Ms. Dana Drábová said that the adoption of the new Atomic act, which covers all international requirements and standards regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the nuclear safety, is technologically neutral and defines unambiguous rules for all.

A substantial part of the discussion focused on the safe operation of nuclear power plants. In the case of the extensive network of Korean nuclear power plants (24 units in operation) the special attention is paid to their resistance to high seismicity in the Korean Peninsula. On the contrary, Czech NPPs are located in a relatively seismically quieter area. Furthermore SÚJB Chairperson recommended cooperation with Czech geologists, who are world-renowned experts in this field.  

Both delegations continued to discuss of international safety standards issues, with the necessity to count even on NGOs (for example WENRA – Western European Nuclear Regulators Association) in the Europa. The Czech Republic is actively involved in it. Debated was also options development of new technologies in nuclear industry as well as the future of energy mix in the Czech Republic and in Korea.

In conclusion minister Paik and SÚJB Chairperson Ms. Drábová expressed the hope that successful cooperation, beneficial for both sides, will continue and will be more deepen in the future.