S. Korea to open new atomic disaster control center

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will open a new atomic disaster control
center near the country's major nuclear research reactor this week to enhance the
country's ability to prevent and cope with emergencies, the government said
Monday.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology plans to open the center 5
kilometers from the Hanaro nuclear reactor in the central city of Daejeon on
Tuesday and use it to manage the evacuation of people in case of a serious
accident.
Hanaro, built in 1995 and run by the state-run Korea Atomic Energy research
Institute, is one of the two operational research reactors in the country. The
second smaller-sized reactor is operated by a local university.
A research reactor is used to conduct various scientific and engineering studies,
and is also designed for isotope production for medical and industrial purposes
and training of expert personnel in the field.
The ministry said the new facility will be linked to the country's AtomCARE
system that is designed to monitor nuclear power plants and give immediate
warning about potential problems in them.
The Daejeon center located 164 kilometers south of Seoul is the fourth of its
kind. Three existing centers are in Wolseong, Younggwang and Uljin and were built
between 2005 through 2008.
The ministry said it plans to build one more such facility for the Gori power
plant in northern Busan, the country's biggest port city.
The completion of the atomic disaster centers in Busan and Daejeon will give the
government comprehensive control to deal with any emergency situations that may
arise, it said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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