While North Korea's nuclear weapons programme continues to trouble the world, South Korea has its own nuclear problem. It badly needs to build a nuclear-waste plant for its numerous nuclear power stations.
At present, it is forced to use a temporary site. The problem has been the same for decades - no one wants to have the facility, which is seen as being hazardous, anywhere near them.
Finally, there is a solution in sight. Buan county in the southwestern province of Cholla recently applied to house a plant on the tiny island of Wido. County chiefs convinced weary locals that the plant would bring jobs and money to their devastated economy.
The government instantly gave the green light to the plan and President Roh Moo-hyun even called the county chief to praise his bravery and insight. While the majority of people opposed the decision, villagers on the island itself supported it. Days of violent protests followed, a reminder of demonstrations almost a decade ago by residents of another western island, Anmyundo. They clashed with riot police in protest at a unilateral decision by the government to build a waste plant on the island, forcing officials to back down.
But things are different this time. There was no coercion and the government has promised to build many public facilities to help the local economy. It has also spent years convincing people that nuclear-waste plants are not hazardous, as environmentalists claim.
Officials point to the numerous plants operating safely in foreign countries.
