Radioactive Waste Disposal as a Social Issue

Abstract

Based on a multidisciplinary, social science study, analysis is made of the widespread misperceptions, misinformation, and misguided and largely negative attitudes toward nuclear power in general and radioactive waste in particular, and of their social, political and economic roots. Distrust of the government and nuclear power authorities, caused by their past mistakes, instigation of radical anti-nuclear forces, the overall democratization trend causing the nimby phenomenon, and the keen but differential interests of the various local groups involved are found to be responsible for misleading notions and attitudes. Furnishing the right information and gaining the trust of the people are suggested to be the key to finding the appropriate site for radioactive waste disposal, badly needed in Korea.