KNEF Crusades for Cause of Green Growth

Implements programs to help next generation better understand nuclear energy

The general public’s acceptance of nuclear energy has been soaring over the necessity of energy, but people’s negative views and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) attitude over the construction of nuclear power plants in their neighborhood areas are still persistent, surveys find.
Korea Nuclear Energy Foundation (KNEF) is exerting all its energy to improve the public’s acceptance of nuclear power in order to ramp up the energy source’s role in the ongoing national low-carbon, green growth paradigm.
In reality, the global nuclear power industry is entering a cycle of boom, as more and more countries are rushing to build new nuclear power plants as part of efforts to address mounting pressure to curb and eventually reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the wake of international pacts on climate change. Amid this backdrop, recognizing the significance of nuclear power under the national paradigm shift to “low-carbon, green growth,” the Korean National Energy Committee finalized a national energy master plan in August 2008, calling for raising nuclear power’s share of the electricity supply from the current 36 percent to 59 percent by 2030.
Nuclear power’s bigger portion is considered an alternative option to deal with climate change pacts and it emerges as an essential energy source designed to not only step up energy self-sufficiency and wean Korea from its heavy dependence on petroleum, but also to develop clean technology and drive growth under the government’s low-carbon, green growth push.
Surveys, conducted on eight occasions between 1995 and 2008, indicate the number of respondents who have positive views on the necessity of nuclear power has hovered over 80 percent since the 1995 survey was conducted. They saw the public view over the safety of nuclear power units and nuclear waste management consistently improving since 2006, indicating a surge in public reliability toward the management of nuclear power plants in recent years. Positive views over the construction of nuclear power units have risen to more than 80 percent: the percentage of those who replied affirmatively to the expansion of nuclear power plants soared from a low of 39.2 percent in 2002 to a high of 64.9 percent in 2005, while the portion of respondents favoring the status quo also climbed from 27.1 percent in 1995 to 51.2 percent in 2008.
However, the public acceptance of nuclear power units in their neighborhood areas was only 23.7 percent in 2008, indicating that the NIMBY syndrome dies hard.
In particular, a survey conducted by the Korea Research Institute in December 2006 also reveals a wide generation gap in the public acceptance of nuclear energy with affirmative student respondents quite lower than their adult counterparts. According to the next-generation vs. adult comparison, the two groups responded affirmatively 86.5 percent to 62.9 percent over the necessity of nuclear power; 46 percent to 26.2 percent over safety; and 22.3 percent to 9 percent over the accommodation of nuclear facilities in their neighborhood areas.
Since his inauguration last December, KNEF Chairperson Rhee Jae-hwan has aggressively been implementing programs to help the next generation get a better understanding of the energy source and cultivate manpower under the green growth paradigm.Projects for Improvement of Next-generation Understanding
The programs that made their debut in 2009 are the Nuclear Power Study Olympiad, the “Share Understanding of Nuclear Power Program” and the Collegians’ Energy Circle program. They are designed to educate students about both the importance of nuclear power as an essential energy for low-carbon, green growth and the way they can put green activities into practice.
The Nuclear Power Study Olympiad is a sort of research essay competition for elementary school students in the Seoul area to help them nourish the spirit of studying and get a better understanding of nuclear energy. Fifty nine people ― 53 students and six guidance counselors ― won prizes in the first Nuclear Power Study Olympiad on Aug. 12 among a total of 275 essay entries. Kim E-joon, a fifth grader at Dorim Primary School, grabbed the grand prize for presenting a study titled “The Making of a Natural Radiation Map in Our Neighborhood.”
The “Share Understanding of Nuclear Energy Program” offers nuclear science camps and nuclear power theme excursions to students as well as on-the-job training courses to teachers in cooperation with 16 municipal and provincial educational authorities across the nation. KNEF became the first institution to be certified as a nuclear power education and training institute by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on March 2. The program, which has established itself as one of KNEF’s major brand projects, has been participated in by 3,679 students as of the end of August.
The Collegians’ Energy Circle program is designed to help not only university students enhance their understanding of nuclear power and concern over it and correct their distorted views over atomic power and new and renewable energy sources, but they are also entrusted with playing roles in improving their understanding and activities related to green growth.
The program aims at nourishing rational leaders in the energy sector with the 2009 target of opening seven Collegians’ Energy Circles at universities and colleges. Five Collegians’ Energy Circles are active under the theme “Exploration of Rational Energy Sources toward an Era of Climate Change” at ENS KNU at Kyungbuk National University Physics & Energy Department; Quintessence at Catholic University of Daegu Radiation Department; ESC at Keimyung University Energy, Environment and Science Department; and DE at the Dongshin University Hydrogen Energy Department. Activities of the Collegians’ Energy Circles include study classes, energy seminars and presentation sessions, energy observation tours and events designed to improve an understanding of energy sources.
Two more circles are expected to be inaugurated in the second half of this year to bring the number of universities and colleges with the activated Collegians’ Energy Circles to seven. KNEF officials expect the program to provide an opportunity for circle members to become core leaders in the energy field by enhancing their right understanding of energy, their perception of green growth and changing their actions.
In order to help college students dispel ambiguous misgivings over nuclear energy and enhance their awareness toward the energy, KNEF is also implementing the “College Energy Caravan” program to tour universities and colleges across the nation. Students are given an opportunity to hear about national energy policies, energy-specific projects and energy-related companies as well as the opportunity to make observation tours of energy-related facilities.
KNEF has a project to have primary and secondary school textbooks revised or completed as part of its efforts to provide exact information on nuclear energy and other energy-related information to students.
It spotted 204 cases that need to be revised or complemented during 2008. Of the total, 43 were reflected in the 2009 version of textbooks. KNEF examined 241 textbooks for 2009 in 36 subjects and requested the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to revise or complement 43 cases in those textbooks. Educational materials for primary and secondary school students on green growth have included the theme “nuclear energy.”
One-day Teacher Dispatch
A one-day teacher dispatch system is in place so that specialists in the nuclear energy field are dispatched to schools across the nation to help the next generation get precise information and knowledge of nuclear energy. In celebration of April, Science Month, and Teachers’ Day in May, 610 people in the nuclear energy field were dispatched as one-day teachers to provide education on nuclear energy to 100,671 students, a 215 percent jump from 2008. About 90 percent of KNEF executives, including Chairperson Rhee, also served as one-day teachers.
KNEF has opened classes and dispatched lecturers to educate on nuclear energy. The beneficiaries of the educational program total 7,595 people on 67 occasions as of the end of August 2009.
On-the-job training for teachers
On-the-job training courses catering to primary and secondary school teachers is offered on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, significance, radiation and uses of radioactive isotopes and low-carbon, green growth. The program comprises of lectures and observation tours to nuclear power units as part of efforts to help people gain a better understanding of nuclear energy.
On March 2, KNEF was designated as the first nuclear energy educational and training institute by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in recognition of the implementation of the program catering to school teachers since 2000.
Happy E-Festival
The 2009 Happy E-Festival, an education and entertainment event to take a first-hand look at the value of nuclear energy, was held at Daejeon Expo Science Park Electricity Energy Hall on May 5. The festival, which made its debut in Seoul on Nov. 1-2, 2008, received rave reviews from people, establishing itself as one of the cultural events representing the nuclear energy circles.
Nuclear Energy Musical
A musical on nuclear energy, titled “Super Ultra, Super Class Expedition,” was performed at the National Museum of Korea in Daejeon on 42 occasions between April 24 and May 14, attracting 21,154 viewers including kindergarten kids, primary school students and parents.
Nuclear Energy Contest
KNEF has held essay and poster contests since 1992 for next-generation people’s voluntary learning and to gain a consensus on nuclear energy. A total of 8,787 entries ― 6,001 essays and 2,786 posters ― were submitted for the 2009 competition, and 122 students, five councilors and five schools won the Minister of Knowledge Economy Prize, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology Prize and other awards.
Publication of a cartoon
A cartoon titled “Wise Choice for the Future, Nuclear Energy of Hope,” produced by cartoonist Lee Won-bok, a professor at Duksung Women’ University, and KNEF was published in December 2008 with the goal of helping next-generation people get a better understanding of nuclear energy. KNEF donated 76,000 copies to 5,900 primary schools across the nation. It is now doling out such next-generation education aids as cartoons, fairy tales and animations via on-line and off-line channels.
Energy Experience Exhibition
KNEF runs the energy experience exhibition, “Happy i,” where next-generation people can experience the importance of nuclear energy. KNEF, designated as one of the on-the-scene experience educational institutes by the Seoul Office of Education, has attracted 27,848 spectators in the first nine months of the year for a total of 89,288 spectators since its debut.
Circuit exhibitions are held at temporary exhibition venues, designated by museums in provincial areas under MOUs with KNEF. The energy experience exhibition tours have attracted 236,243 spectators during the January-September period of 2009.
Observation tours
Observation tours for the general public are offered to four nuclear power complexes and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, particularly for public opinion leaders, including teachers and students. The program, which attracted 3,107 people in the first eight months of this year, has contributed toward building public opinions favorable to nuclear energy.
Nuclear Energy Export Support
KNEF provides its expertise on publicizing nuclear energy in support of the government’s bid to export nuclear energy technology and equipment. It produced a manual for publicizing experiences it acquired in the course of coping with conflicts surrounding the selection of the site of a low- and medium-grade radwaste treatment facility. KNEF signed an MOU with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute on Feb. 16 for the support of exporting nuclear energy technology. It is now negotiating with nuclear energy export companies to ink similar deals.
Research and Survey
KNEF conducts a monthly public opinion survey of 800 members of the general public on such pending nuclear energy issues as public acceptance and pros & cons on the extension of the life of nuclear power plants. Policy newsletters on the outcome of public opinion surveys are produced and distributed to opinion leaders. nw

Korea Nuclear Energy Foundation offers diverse programs designed to enhance the general public’s better understanding of nuclear energy. Photos (clockwise)show a scene from the 2009 Happy E-Festival,; KNEF Chairperson Rhee Jae-hwan presenting the grand prize to one of the winners of the 2009 Nuclear Study Olympiad,; and a scene from the 2009 Nuclear Energy Musical.

Korea Nuclear Energy Foundation Chairperson Rhee Jae-hwan shakes hands with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute President Yang Myung-seung after signing an MOU on the support of nuclear energy technology on Feb. 16.