The previously neglected radiation emergency planning zones in Gochang and Buan in Jeollabuk-do will receive stable national support starting next year.

Jeollabuk-do announced on the 4th that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has confirmed the establishment of a new category for "financial support for radiation emergency planning zones" in the calculation of ordinary local taxes for 2026.

As a result, Gochang-gun and Buan-gun, which fall within a 30km radius of the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, will directly benefit from this decision.

Since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the government expanded the radiation emergency planning zone from 10km to 30km to enhance safety in the areas surrounding nuclear power plants. However, the Gochang and Buan areas in Jeollabuk-do have been excluded from support so far because they are not located near a nuclear power plant. Jeollabuk-do has been making continuous policy suggestions to the central government and the National Assembly since 2022 to address this unfair situation.