208 kg of heavy water leaked from Wolsong-4 reactor; no radiation issue reported
An undated file photo of the Wolsong-4 reactor in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.
A leakage of heavy water from a nuclear reactor in the southeastern region of the country occurred earlier in the week, with no issue related to radiation having been detected, nuclear safety officials said Thursday.
The leak incident at the Wolsong-4 reactor in the city of Gyeongju was reported by the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) at around 2:26 p.m. on Wednesday to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.
Nuclear safety officials said it plans to dispatch a group of experts for on-site inspection. No irregularities in external radiation levels have been detected.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the amount of heavy water leaked was estimated at 208 kilograms, but the water has not escaped outside the facility, the commission said.
The Wolsong-4 reactor has been shut down for a regular inspection since July. The KHNP said it immediately closed related pumps after detecting the leak.