Solutions and Policy Implications for Conflicts in Siting Energy Facilities

The first carrying of the low-intermediate nuclear waste drums into the underground silo located at Yangbuk-myun, Gyeong-ju (South Korea) took place in July 2015. This was the first carriage of nuclear waste into the underground tunnel since Gyeong-ju was selected as the final repository site in 2005, which was significant because it took approximately 30 years of conflicts and adjustments for the government to select and finalize the nuclear waste site.Currently Korea is facing several difficulties, because of the siting of energy and environmental facilities. Due to its’ special geographical (peninsula) and political (divided into north/south) situation, we need to be self-sufficient in such energy facilities. However, because of opposition and conflicts from locals, environment groups and other stakeholders, the siting process is often delayed and sometimes terminated. The Korean government has been implementing several different policies in order to solve this issue, but most of them are ineffective, and the conflict between different parties seems to grow deeper