Soil Sampling Procedure for Management and Analysis of Legacy Sites in the Korean Peninsula

Background: The Korean Peninsula is split between the South Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea), with North Korea possessing nuclear weapons. There are rising concerns over legacy sites, areas contaminated primarily by nuclear activities. In North Korea, these sites lack regulatory oversight and are likely neglected even if inactive. Hence, it is vital to devise strategies to manage and assess these sites. Yongbyon, a prominent nuclear site in North Korea, has been proposed for environmental sampling to gauge contamination levels. The goal is to determine contamination by suggesting sample collection points in Yongbyon.Materials and Methods: Using recent data and satellite imagery from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s periodic Safety Measures Report, we selected legacy sites to assess their contamination levels with recent data and satellite imagery. We identified sampling locations using the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) to check nuclear contamination. From these results, we devised a scenario evaluating accessibility and the local environment.Results and Discussion: For Yongbyon in North Korea, this study created two sampling scenarios based on interior access feasibility. Given North Korea’s constraints, we finalized the scenario without interior access. The sampling areas include two steam lines, four vehicle paths, and five green zones outside the facility.Conclusion: Nuclear facility operations worldwide are concerning. When halted, these become legacy sites requiring contamination management. Despite North Korea’s limited recordkeeping and challenges in determining contamination, we devised a sampling scenario using VSP software, factoring in accessibility and movement paths.