The risk of radioactive contamination from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site comprehensively mapped

Since Dr. Choi Kyong-Hui of SAND Institute first raised the issue in 2016, the risk of radioactive contamination from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has been an ongiong concern. However, it has been difficult to present a comprehensive picture because of political and bureaucratic hurdles.

In February 2023, Transitional Justice Working Group released a special report “Mapping the Risk and Effect of Radioactive Contamination of Groundwater Sources from the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in North Korea”.

TJWG mapped the possible dissemination of radioactive materials to the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans living in the vicinity of Punggye-ri and explored the ways in which smuggling and distribution of the agricultural and marine products as well as local specialties like pine mushrooms from the area may leave not only the North Korean people but also the population in neighboring China, South Korea and Japan at risk.

In response, the South Korean government announced that it will offer radiation testing to 881 North Korean escapees who had resided in areas near the nuclear test site.

TJWG thanks the SAND Institute for its pioneering efforts, which served as the starting point for the Punggye-ri report, and looks forward to continuing collaboration in research and advocacy for change.

Lee Younghwan/TJWG Executive Director