NNCA Opens in Daeduck Science Town
- Taking charge of boosting transparency, int'l trust of Korea's non-proliferation policy

The Ministry of Science and Technology opened the National Nuclear Control Agency to take control of all matters related to nuclear affairs in the country on October 25, the ministry said.
NNCA, dedicated to make nuclear handling transparent and raising international trust in Korea's handling of nuclear matters, will be located in the Korea Nuclear Safety Technology Institute in Daeduck, South Chungcheong Province, near Daejon.
Attending the opening ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Science-Technology Minister Oh Myung and officials from related ministries, agencies and ambassadors from member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and major allies of Korea.
MOST plans to detail its four principles on peaceful use of nuclear energy announced on Sept. 18, reiterating Korea's intention for non-proliferation of nuclear energy and to strengthen its non-nuclear proliferation system, it will take safety measures including the promulgation of new regulations on nuclear safety. NNCA, in the meantime, will try to solidify the government's non-nuclear proliferation policy and strengthen cooperation in nuclear safety with the IAEA as part of its continuous effort to raise Korea's transparency in nuclear matters across the world. The 2003 National Science Indicators (NSI) ranked Korea 14th among countries across the world in terms of published science/technology research papers throughout 2003, the MOST said.
The NSI databases full-length academic papers carried in over 6,000 journals around the world, measuring the national performance of 170 countries in the areas of science, social science and humanities top the lists ISI-indexed papers (US Institute for Scientific Information).
Korea's ranking came as its scholars and scientists published 2.29 percent of 18,635, of the total number of papers (813,233), accounting for more than 2 percent in 32 areas, including engineering, computer, physics, chemistry, earth science, bioengineering and medicine, the ministry said.
The indicators also found Korea in the top 10 in 17 research sectors, 10 of which belong to engineering-computers and 3 to physics-chemistry-earth science sectors. NSI further recorded that Korea published 73,116 papers during the last five years, and they were referenced 194,714 times.
MOST has been the central agency for formulating and implementing national S&T policy, administering S&T affairs and coordinating national R&D programs since its establishment in 1967.
The main functions of MOST include: formulating policies for S&T development; formulating policies for R&D investment, human resources development, S&T information, and international S&T cooperation; supporting basic and applied research conducted by government-supported research institutes(GRIs), universities and private research institutes; planning, promoting and supporting the development of core, future-oriented science and technology, and large-scale technology; attaining technological self-reliance and the safe use of nuclear technology; promoting public awareness of S&T; to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities offered by the new knowledge-based society. The Korean government has undergone a wide range of organizational and systemic restructuring since 1998, with a view toward realizing a "small but effective" government.
Recognizing that S&T are the key to Korea's transition toward becoming an advanced nation, the government promotes MOST's position within the cabinet, conferring on MOST the full responsibility for inter-ministerial coordination of S&T and R&D policies. In addition, as the primary government lobby to set S&T policy direction, including R&D investment priority and the coordination of various S&T and R&D activities conducted by government agencies and ministries, the government established the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The NSTC is chaired by the President, and its members include the ministers of S&T related ministries and leaders in the S&T community. nw