S Korea to tighten regulations to curb flight attendants' radiation exposure

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea will begin putting a ceiling on the number of international flights for cabin crew members to minimise their exposure to cosmic radiation, the country’s nuclear safety agency said Saturday.

Under the revised law, air carriers are obliged to change the routes or reduce the number of flights for each flight attendant at risk of being exposed to more than six millisieverts (mSv) on an annual basis.

The law also mandates that crew members on international flights receive regular education on radiation and undergo health checkups.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission told Yonhap News Agency that the new regulations will go into effect Sunday and violators will be subject to fines of up to six million won (US$4,638).

Flight attendants, especially those travelling long distances on international routes, are more frequently exposed to cosmic radiation and known to be at a greater risk of developing cancer than the general population. - BERNAMA-YONHAP