Abstract: In order to institutionalize nuclear risk information exchange within the region so as to establish an effective system for nuclear safety collaboration across East Asia, this paper surveyed 1563 residents in China, Japan, and South Korea on their knowledge of nuclear power in East Asia, their understanding of nuclear safety policies of their nation, their perceptions of nuclear safety in their nation, and their views on nuclear safety collaboration across East Asia. The results showed that residents in the capitals of China, Japan, and South Korea lacked basic knowledge of nuclear or understanding of nuclear safety policies of their nation, while they placed low trust in nuclear safety and information disclosure of the government and nuclear plant operators. Moreover, a majority of the respondents believed that there were no nuclear safety institutions in East Asia, or if there were, they were not a good guarantee of nuclear safety. In this study, real and comprehensive data on the knowledge and acceptance of nuclear power among residents in the capital cities of China, Japan, and South Korea were collected by means of questionnaires. Through a comparative analysis of the publics knowledge of nuclear power basics, their level of awareness of nuclear powerrelated risks, as well as their acceptance of their own nuclear power policies and their attitudes toward nuclear safety collaboration issues among countries in the East Asian region, recommendations are ultimately proposed that will help the East Asian region move toward a safer nuclear power business, with a view to contributing to the construction and design of future nuclear safety regimes in the East Asian region.

Key words: energy policy, public acceptance, nuclear safety, regulation system, communication within China, Japan, and South Korea, nuclear risk