Korea hydro & nuclear power12th January 2025 – (Seoul) South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) has initiated an investigation into the unusual discharge of liquid radioactive waste from the Wolseong No. 2 nuclear power plant, located in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province. The report, sourced from the Yonhap news agency, details that the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) informed the NSSC of the incident at approximately 10.23am local time (0123 GMT) on Sunday.
The discharge occurred when liquid waste from a radioactive storage tank was released into the ocean without undergoing the requisite sample analysis. Upon discovering that the tank’s outlet valve had been inadvertently left open, KHNP acted swiftly to halt further leakage while preparing for the planned discharge.
Initial analyses of the remaining samples in the tank indicated that the concentration of the leaked liquid waste, estimated at around 29 tons, was within normal levels. Nevertheless, the NSSC has dispatched a team of experts to the site to ascertain the precise volume and cause of the leak, along with assessing any potential environmental impact by collecting seawater samples from the vicinity.
The NSSC has assured the public that it will disclose the findings of the investigation as soon as they become available, emphasising the importance of transparency in addressing safety concerns surrounding nuclear operations in the country.