Social acceptance of nuclear power plants in Korea: The role of public perceptions following the Fukushima accident

After the Fukushima accident, most nations that use nuclear power programmes as their main energy facility reexamined their national energy and electricity plans and policies. Moreover, the accident resulted in huge losses of lives and capital, affecting public perceptions and acceptance of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Understanding the related motivations and hindrances that affect public perceptions is essential to revising these energy plans and policies. On the basis of a survey conducted in South Korea, this study investigates public perceptions of NPPs. Moreover, it explores the effects of four factors, perceived costs, system reliability, awareness, and environmental knowledge, on the perceived benefits, risks, and public attitudes that influence the public's intention to use NPPs. This study finds that perceived benefits played a key role in determining the public's intention to use NPPs. Furthermore, their perceived benefits are significantly affected by the four factors listed above. Moreover, both environmental knowledge and perceived costs have notable effects on perceived risks. On the basis of the obtained results, both implications and limitations of the study are presented.