Earticle

초록

영어

Background: The Korean Peninsula is split between the South Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea), with North Korea possessing nuclear weapons. There are rising concerns over legacy sites, areas contaminated primarily by nuclear activities. In North Korea, these sites lack regulatory oversight and are likely neglected even if inactive. Hence, it is vital to devise strategies to manage and assess these sites. Yongbyon, a prominent nuclear site in North Korea, has been proposed for environmental sampling to gauge contamination levels. The goal is to determine contamination by suggesting sample collection points in Yongbyon. Materials and Methods: Using recent data and satellite imagery from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s periodic Safety Measures Report, we selected legacy sites to assess their contamination levels with recent data and satellite imagery. We identified sampling locations using the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) to check nuclear contamination. From these results, we devised a scenario evaluating accessibility and the local environment. Results and Discussion: For Yongbyon in North Korea, this study created two sampling scenarios based on interior access feasibility. Given North Korea’s constraints, we finalized the scenario without interior access. The sampling areas include two steam lines, four vehicle paths, and five green zones outside the facility. Conclusion: Nuclear facility operations worldwide are concerning. When halted, these become legacy sites requiring contamination management. Despite North Korea’s limited recordkeeping and challenges in determining contamination, we devised a sampling scenario using VSP software, factoring in accessibility and movement paths.

목차

ABSTRACT
Introduction
Materials and Methods
1. North Korea’s Main Legacy Sites and Nuclear Activities
2. Visual Sample Plan
Results and Discussion
1. North Korea’s Nuclear Activities
2. Sampling Method Performance
3. Sampling Result
Conclusion
Conflict of Interest
Acknowledgements
Ethical Statement
Author Contribution
References

키워드

저자

• Yongmin Kim [ Department of Radiological Science, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea ] Corresponding Author
• Suhui Park [ Department of Radiological Science, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea ]
• Jiyoung Han [ Department of Radiological Science, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea ]
• Jewan Park [ Department of Radiological Science, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea ]

참고문헌

발행기관

간행물

표지보기 관심저널 등록

• 간행물명

  방사선방어학회지 [Journal of Radiation Protection and Research]

• 간기

  계간

• pISSN

  2508-1888

• 수록기간

  1976~2026

• 등재여부

  KCI 등재,SCOPUS

• 십진분류

  KDC 559 DDC 629