EXPERIENCE OF THE ZONE APPROACH SAFEGUARDS IN KOREA

A Zone Approach was approved by the DDG-SG of the IAEA, to reduce the need for verifying nuclear material transfers between facilities in a Zone, and to provide an assurance against borrowing from within the Zone. In Korea, there are the Low Enriched Uranium Zone including a LWR fuel fabrication plant and LWRs, and the Natural Uranium Zone including a CANDU fuel fabrication plant and CANDUs. Annually, one PIV and two interim inspections are performed for a nuclear fuel fabrication plant (KNFC, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Company, KOR-) under the Zone Approach, while one PIV and five interim inspections are normally performed if the Zone Approach is not applied. In addition, with running the LEU Fresh Fuel Tracking System based on the SSAC cooperation with the IAEA, ten verifications of the fresh fuel receipts at LWRs could be eliminated in 2003 because they had already been verified at the KNFC. Both the IAEA and Korea agreed to perform a simultaneous PIV in the NU Zone in August 2004 and so the verification of the fresh fuels at CANDUs is to be scheduled for only this PIV. As a result, these regimes are contributing to both sides by reducing the inspection efforts and providing an assurance against borrowing from within the Zone.