IAEA to monitor S. Korea's spent fuel rod storage with unmanned cameras

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has started to use unmanned cameras to monitor South Korea's spent reactor fuel rod storage process instead of sending observers, South Korean government said Monday.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology of South Korea, the cameras began to operate on Sept. 1 over the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant in North Gyeongsang Province. The Wolseong plant operates four pressurized heavy water reactors.

"The move could save money for the IAEA since it will no longer have to send an observer here," a ministry official said.

The change is also convenient for the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., which is responsible for running all South Korean nuclear power plants, the official said.

The spent fuel rods can be used to make atomic weapons.

In the past, the IAEA regularly sent an observer to South Korea for up to a year to monitor the storage process.

Source: Xinhua