Abstract
The linear no-threshold (LNT) model has long served as a foundational principle in radiation protection. In recent years, advances in radiation health science, along with legal and social debate over the model’s application in administrative and judicial decision-making across nuclear and radiation-related fields—including industry, regulation, and public health—have renewed scrutiny of its scientific basis, regulatory relevance, and societal implications, especially at low doses. This article summarizes the 2025 Winter Workshop hosted by the Korean Association for Radiation Protection, which examined the LNT model through the lenses of science, policy, and societal debate. Key themes included the international rationale and historical basis for the model’s adoption; biological and epidemiological evidence relevant to its evaluation; the regulatory and socioeconomic impacts of radiation protection standards grounded in the LNT model; public perceptions of radiation risk shaped by this framework; and the legal and policy issues arising from its continued use in governance. Rather than reaching a singular conclusion, the workshop highlighted the importance of sustained interdisciplinary dialogue to refine how the LNT model is interpreted and applied across science, regulation, and society—ensuring that resulting approaches remain scientifically robust, socially responsive, and adaptable to evolving evidence.