Local Residents’ Perception Analysis of Nuclear Power after the Thyroid Cancer Damage Lawsuit Adjacent to the Nuclear Plant

The subjects in this study are the residents of Busan, analyzing the perception gap between the residents adjacent to the nuclear plant and living in town, about the lawsuit of thyroid cancer damage nearby the nuclear plant, to distinguish the citizen’s acceptance level about the nuclear power. 551 people(269 people adjacent to nuclear plant, 282 people in town) were face-to-face surveyed and the result showed that people’s perceptions of the nuclear power has changed after the thyroid cancer damage lawsuit. In the case of the residents adjacent to the nuclear plant, it became clear that the negative perception of nuclear power became stronger due to increasing distrust and anxiety about nuclear power after the lawsuit of thyroid cancer damage nearby the nuclear plant. On the other hand, people living in town showed their positive perceptions of nuclear power despite the thyroid cancer damage lawsuit. However, two-sided perception was shown compared to the acceptance of nuclear power, since the safety and reliability of the nuclear power was analyzed as negative perception. Therefore, for the constant increased use of nuclear power in the future, national understanding and credibility, including the communication with the nation or the residents in the neighboring area of nuclear power plant, will be necessary.