S. Korea to choose spent nuclear fuel storage sites

South Korea will in April begin the process of deciding what to do with its spent nuclear fuel rods, with temporary storage sites fast filling up, the government said Tuesday.

A committee comprising experts, NGOs and residents living near nuclear plants will be formed to discuss how to store spent fuel, select storage sites and pay compensation to relocate residents, the ministry of knowledge economy said.

The committee will hold a series of public hearings up until the end of 2014 to work out details for selecting the sites. A separate committee will then choose the locations in 2015.

Currently, spent fuel rods are stored in temporary facilities at four of the country's 23 nuclear power plants, but the sites are expected to be saturated by as early as 2016.

South Korea's 23 nuclear reactors generate around 35 percent of the country's electricity. The country plans to build an additional 16 reactors by 2030.