Uranium is an essential raw material for nuclear fuel, and its strategic importance has increased again in response to global carbon neutrality policies and the growing demand for electricity.However, uranium resources are geographically concentrated in a limited number of countries, and environmental contamination associated with uranium mining and milling, including radioactive materials and heavy metals, remains a critical socio-environmental concern.This review comprehensively examines the current status and technological evolution of domestic and international uranium resource development, with a particular focus on pollution generation, control, and remediation technologies.Conventional open-pit and underground mining methods are reviewed alongside in-situ leach mining, which has rapidly increased its share of global uranium production, highlighting their operational principles, advantages, and environmental implications.Key issues in uranium leaching, smelting, and mineral processing are discussed in relation to technical efficiency and environmental risk.Furthermore, representative cases of uranium mine contamination are analyzed to elucidate the geochemical and radiological behavior of uranium in tailings and groundwater systems, and recent advances in disposal design, groundwater restoration, and biogeochemical remediation technologies are summarized.Finally, past and current uranium-related research activities in Korea are reviewed to identify technical limitations and future opportunities, and strategic directions for diversifying uranium supply and achieving environmentally sustainable nuclear fuel security are proposed.
Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.