The term “nuclear mafia” is used to criticize nuclear industry professionals, but it’s a distortion of a natural phenomenon in which they hold key positions primarily because of their expertise. Nuclear power is a reliable and efficient source of energy, and specialized knowledge is essential. Some unethical behavior is not representative of the entire industry, and we need to increase transparency and ethics while respecting the role of professionals.
Whenever I see the words “nuclear mafia” in the newspaper or on the news, I cringe and my eyes unconsciously turn to the article. The provocative term “nuclear mafia” has recently resurfaced in the wake of issues such as the revised Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement and the controversial extension of the life of the Wolseong No. 1 nuclear power plant. On the one hand, I am concerned that I, as a current nuclear engineering student, will not be treated in this way when I go out into the world, but on the other hand, I question why I deserve it. Therefore, in this article, I will try to dispel the misconceptions about the nuclear mafia and refute their opinions.
First, let’s look at the concept of the Nuclear Mafia. The ‘Nuclear Mafia’ refers to a group of nuclear elites from certain academic backgrounds and connections who have established a clique culture by monopolizing key positions in Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), KEPCO, manufacturers, testing laboratories, and the nuclear monitoring organization under the Prime Minister, using their exclusive technology and national security as weapons.
Among them, Seoul National University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, which produces 40 percent of the country’s PhDs in nuclear energy, is the center of the nuclear mafia. It is said here that the nuclear elite dominate key positions, but I think this is quite natural and expected. Look at their organizations. KEPCO, KEPCO, manufacturers, test centers, monitoring organizations, etc. are all organizations that cannot do anything without deep knowledge of nuclear power. It seems logical that the people with the best expertise should be in charge of these organizations. The only place where multidisciplinary expertise is needed is the watchdog organization, which is supposed to be strictly neutral. Korea has a top committee in charge of nuclear safety under the Prime Minister, called the Nuclear Safety Commission. However, if you look at the members of the KNSC, they are as follows. In terms of the proportion of members, there are more non-nuclear-related people than nuclear-related people, including a professor of microbiology, the chairman of the Energy and Climate Committee of the Environmental Movement Alliance, and a professor of natural liberal arts, and there are even anti-nuclear pioneers among them.
This makes me think that the negative definition of the current “nuclear mafia” in terms of dominating key positions is illogical, i.e., it is a wrong interpretation to see this phenomenon as a mafia when nuclear experts are supposed to be in charge.
Nuclear experts occupy key positions simply because they are recognized as the best in their field. In other fields, it’s not uncommon for people with specific specializations to hold key positions. For example, in the IT industry, software experts hold key positions, and in the medical field, doctors and researchers are key players in hospitals. This is essential for the progress and safety of their fields.
But are there negative impacts beyond holding key positions and building a mafia-like clique culture? For example, some people say that the nuclear mafia has created a nuclear-centered energy structure in Korea, depriving us of the opportunity to embrace new energy. But this is a clear misconception. First, if we look at the current energy mix in Korea, it is true that nuclear power generation is much higher than the proportion of other new energy sources, namely renewable energy. But is it because the “nuclear mafia” has a poor understanding of other energy sources and only advocates nuclear power? Those who question this point to Germany, which has gone nuclear and turned to renewable energy policies, and argue that Korea should follow suit. However, anyone with even a passing interest in engineering knows that this idea is anachronistic. While it is true that various alternative energies are being developed, it is impossible to power Korea entirely with renewable energy due to its geographical characteristics (land area, solar intensity, wind speed, etc.). At the same time, the amount of thermal power generation, which emits a lot of greenhouse gases, cannot be increased indiscriminately, so nuclear energy is playing a role. If we compare the 7th Electricity Supply Plan with the 6th, the share of coal in energy supply decreases by 2.5%, the share of nuclear power increases by 1.1 percentage points, and the share of renewable energy increases by 0.1 percentage points.
Therefore, it is important to recognize that the current energy mix is not being driven by the “nuclear mafia” to deny us the opportunity to embrace new energies, but rather is a natural response to growing energy demand and the international drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear energy is currently considered one of the most reliable and efficient sources of energy. Of course, we need to develop renewable energy sources, but we also need to recognize the realistic limitation that they cannot replace conventional energy sources in the short term.
Of course, the recent scandals in the nuclear industry deserve to be punished. But we shouldn’t assume that the entire nuclear industry has become a nuclear mafia, and that these problems are unique to the nuclear industry. It is a common practice of collusion between some unethical stakeholders in Korean society, which has been found in the political and social sectors as well. It would be a gross exaggeration to single out the “nuclear mafia” and say that Seoul National University is at the center of it. Rather, a national reflection is needed to address this customary Korean nepotism.
South Korea’s remarkable development over the past half century has been fueled by an energy supply that has supported economic growth, and I believe that nuclear power has played a large role in this. However, due to some unethical and ignorant people in the nuclear industry, the entire industry has been stigmatized as the “nuclear mafia” and has negatively affected the image of Korea as a nuclear power. At this point, it is necessary to make a sober judgment on whether the people who are referred to as the ‘nuclear mafia’ really have mafia-like characteristics in the nuclear industry despite the natural phenomenon that they have specialized knowledge and occupy key positions, or whether this is a problem of the whole country but the nuclear industry is singled out in a witch-hunt fashion.
Finally, our society needs to have a proper understanding and balanced view of nuclear technology. Nuclear power, by its very nature, requires a high level of safety management and expertise, and talented people in related fields play a pivotal role. Therefore, a social atmosphere that respects and supports their expertise while strengthening the transparency and ethics of the nuclear industry should be created. Only then will Korea be able to pursue sustainable energy policies and consolidate its position as an internationally recognized nuclear power.
