South Korea nuclear deliberation committee to pick 300-member citizen panel
In short
South Korea's Nuclear Power Public Deliberation Committee for the Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand held its first meeting in Seoul on October 7 and approved a plan to select about 300 citizens by stratified random sampling for a two-night, three-day deliberation. The committee said results will not be decided by majority vote but will set out common ground, conditionally acceptable areas and issues that remain disputed.
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South Korea's Nuclear Power Public Deliberation Committee for the Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand held its first meeting on October 7 at a venue in Jung-gu, Seoul, the committee said on October 8. Hankook Ilbo cited the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment for the same account. The committee discussed its operating rules, a citizen-participation survey plan and the direction of the deliberation process. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The committee approved the survey plan, which sets out how a citizen panel will be formed. About 300 citizens will be selected by stratified random sampling that takes account of region, gender and age. After preliminary study using deliberation materials and online learning, they will take part in a two-night, three-day deliberation and present their considered views. Newsis reported that an expert committee of specialists with diverse views will provide information for the learning materials, and that research on domestic and overseas cases and fact and source checks will be supported. Yonhap reported that the plan will be posted on Nara Jangteo (나라장터) on October 13. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The committee agreed not to interpret the outcome as a simple majority choice. Instead it will compile opinions after deliberation, the reasoning behind them, points in common and main views. Members agreed to discuss comprehensively the role of nuclear power as one of the alternatives for meeting future electricity demand, without presupposing a particular conclusion or consensus, and to identify commonly acceptable areas, conditionally acceptable areas and issues that remain after deliberation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
To ensure transparency, meeting minutes will in principle be published after review by the committee. The committee will further review matters such as the need for subcommittees and vote on its operating rules at its second meeting. It elected members Lee Yun-seok (이윤석) and Shim Sung-hee (심성희) as joint spokespersons and plans to meet weekly; Hankook Ilbo reported that results will be announced through the spokespersons. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Hankook Ilbo, the committee was formed under a nuclear deliberation plan that Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan (김성환) announced at a Cabinet meeting on September 22. It has nine members, is chaired by Eun Jae-ho (은재호), an adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (한국외대) who has headed the Hanguk Galdeung Hakhoe (한국갈등학회), and was launched on October 2. Yonhap reported that the government plan calls for three months of public deliberation on how to use nuclear power to meet electricity demand expected to rise steeply because of projects including three mega-projects. Hankook Ilbo described the process as deciding whether to pursue new nuclear plants. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Hankook Ilbo reported that the three-month process will help decide whether South Korea pursues new nuclear power plants, and Yonhap reported it concerns how nuclear power is used to meet electricity demand expected to rise sharply. The committee, set up for the Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, is to draw up recommendations based on the citizen deliberation.
Key facts
- The committee held its first meeting on October 7 in Jung-gu, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It approved a citizen-participation survey plan under which about 300 citizens will be chosen by stratified random sampling based on region, gender and age. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Citizens will study materials, including online, before a two-night, three-day deliberation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Results will not be read as a simple majority choice; the committee will compile views, reasoning, common ground and main opinions after deliberation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The committee will not presuppose a conclusion or consensus and will identify commonly acceptable areas, conditionally acceptable areas and issues that remain after deliberation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Members Lee Yun-seok (이윤석) and Shim Sung-hee (심성희) were elected joint spokespersons, and the committee plans to meet weekly. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The committee has nine members, is chaired by Eun Jae-ho (은재호), and was launched on October 2. [ 3 ]
- The survey plan is to be posted on Nara Jangteo (나라장터) on October 13. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The committee held its first meeting on October 7 in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- About 300 citizens will be selected by stratified random sampling by region, gender and age. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The citizen panel will hold a two-night, three-day deliberation after preliminary study. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Results will not be decided by majority alone and no conclusion or consensus is presupposed. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Meeting minutes will in principle be published after committee review. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Operating rules will be voted on at the second meeting. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Lee Yun-seok and Shim Sung-hee were elected joint spokespersons and the committee will meet weekly. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The deliberation plan was announced at a Cabinet meeting on September 22. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- When the citizen panel will be selected and when the deliberation will take place. The documents give no dates for the selection or the two-night, three-day session.
- What the three mega-projects driving electricity demand are. Only Yonhap mentions them and does not name them.
- Whether subcommittees will be created. The committee said it will review the need for them before its second meeting.
- The scope of the deliberation. Hankook Ilbo frames it as deciding whether to pursue new nuclear plants, while Yonhap and the committee describe a broader discussion of nuclear power's role in meeting future demand.