Study on the Regulation Policy for the License Exempted Nuclear Material in aspect of Nuclear Nonproliferation

From a radiation safety point of view, License Exempted Nuclear Material (LENM) is approved when there is no radiation hazard to the public. LENM is controlled by the government under the Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocol. However, there are few concerns regarding the management of LENM. Firstly, the level of safeguards awareness by firms and other institutions using LENM is not high, even though LENM management heavily depends upon user declaration. Secondly, after its use LENM tends to be thrown away with other industrial wastes. As a result, it earns a no-owner status because LENM is not under the control of radiation safety and physical protection regulation. Lastly, it is hard for a government to keep track of LENM transactions since these activities occur only in the private sector. A study on regulation policy was conducted. It focused on three areas of regulation. First, LENM criteria were re-evaluated. Next, characteristics of the nuclear material regulation system were analyzed by the SWOT-AHP method. Final, a system was created to develop strategies and optimized means to meet internal and external requirements of LENM. As a result, we were able to conclude that LENM regulation policy should be focused on anticipatory and cooperative management rather than the punishment or limitation of nuclear activities. We proposed the enhancement of the information management system to timely detect undeclared nuclear material and activities. In addition, we have to consider the education for LENM user and cooperation with private sector to inspire safeguards awareness.