Former NRDC Expert Sworn in as New Chief of South Korea’s Nuclear Safety Commission

WASHINGTON – Jungmin Kang was sworn in today as chairman of South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission after serving two and a half years as a senior research fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The NSSC is the independent government agency responsible for protecting South Koreans and their environment from nuclear hazards.

The following is a statement from Matthew McKinzie, director of NRDC’s Nuclear program:

“Dr. Jungmin Kang has made vital contributions to NRDC’s mission of fighting climate change and promoting clean energy. While we hate to lose his valuable expertise, we know it will be of incalculable benefit to the people of South Korea. We wish Jungmin every success in his new position.”

Dr. Kang worked on projects concerning nuclear safety and nuclear proliferation since joining NRDC’s Washington office in July 2015. His research focused on the risk of fires in spent nuclear fuel pools and the nuclear fuel cycle of fast neutron reactors.

As chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Dr. Kang oversees an agency with a budget of $158 million and 764 employees and reports directly to South Korea’s prime minister, Lee Nak-yeon. South Korea is the world’s sixth largest nuclear energy producer, with 24 operating reactors producing 30 percent of the country’s electricity. The commission was established in 2011.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​

 

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