Public Acceptance of Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage in South Korea: Evidence from a Nationwide Survey for Sustainable Nuclear Waste Governance

South Korea faces an imminent spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage bottleneck that threatens reactor operations and the country’s low-carbon transition. Using data from a nationwide, stratified face-to-face survey conducted in late 2024, this study examines public acceptance of an interim SNF storage facility (ISF) in South Korea. The survey included 1000 adults aged 20–65. Public acceptance was measured using a 1–9 support scale. We investigate its associations with respondents’ socioeconomic, regional, and attitudinal characteristics using ordered probit and ordinary least squares specifications. Opposition (47.4%) exceeds support (35.4%). In the preferred baseline ordered probit model, acceptance is positively associated with residence in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, self-reported familiarity with SNF management, stated tariff-cost-sharing orientation, age, education, income, and household headship, and negatively associated with province-level residence in an area containing one or more NPPs and with life satisfaction. Partial ordinal models indicate that the statistical significance of Education, Income, and Satisfaction is not robust across specifications. This study is grounded in the broader literature on procedural fairness, information asymmetry, and distributive equity. Within this framework, the observed associations inform a set of policy considerations. These considerations span transparent risk communication, tariff-linked cost sharing, independent monitoring, and community-benefit arrangements. This nationally representative evidence informs sustainable SNF governance and practical regulatory design for maintaining electricity reliability during the energy transition.