S. Korea to join UN atomic radiation committee in 2012

South Korea will become a full-fledged member of a UN atomic radiation committee next year that can allow the country to play a greater role in enhancing nuclear safety, the government said Saturday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Seoul will join the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) as a full member after holding observer status since 2008. Established in 1955, UNSCEAR assesses and reports levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Governments and organizations throughout the world rely on the committee's reports as the scientific basis for evaluating radiation risk and for establishing protective measures. "Becoming a full member can better reflect South Korea's standing in the global nuclear energy field," a ministry official said. Seoul is currently the fifth largest producer of atomic energy in the world and has made inroads into the export market with the sale of four reactors to the United Arab Emirates. The official also said that becoming a UNSCEAR member state will allow South Korea to take part in the radiation assessment of the recent Fukushima nuclear fallout and contribute to enhancing safety for atomic power plants in the future. The March earthquake and tsunami destroyed the safety systems at the plant located 250 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, causing the radiation leak. The level of radiation released has been on par with Russia's Chernobyl accident in 1986, the worst nuclear disaster in history.