Officials conduct a cyberattack drill at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju on Dec. 22, 2014, to ensure the facility can remain safe during potential cyber threats. (Yonhap) South Korea is set to terminate the operation of the Kori-4 nuclear reactor Wednesday as it has reached the end of its lifespan, its operator said.
The No. 4 reactor at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located in Busan, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will be shut down at 2 p.m., according to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.
The 950,000-kilowatt reactor began commercial operations in November 1985.
Although the reactor continues to function without any issues due to facility upgrades, it is being suspended in accordance with its originally designated 40-year design lifespan.
The government is currently considering allowing reactors that have reached the end of their design lifespan to continue operating for an additional 10 years, as permitted by the law.
Kori-4 is undergoing the same approval process as Kori-3, which was also terminated last September.
KHNP submitted an application to the nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, to modify operations for continued use, and the review is currently in progress.
“Considering the usual time required for the review process, a decision on No. 2 is expected in the second half of this year, while the results for No. 3 and No. 4 will likely be announced sometime next year,” an industry official said.
Kori-1, which began operation in 1978 with a design lifespan of 30 years, operated for nearly 40 years following an extension. In 2017, KHNP decided to permanently shut it down and applied for decommissioning approval in 2021. (Yonhap)