Nuclear reactors shut down after quakes

By Park Si-soo

Nuclear reactors locating near the epicenter of a record 5.8-magnitude quake that struck Gyeongju on Monday evening have stopped operation.

Four nuclear reactors at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant have been turned off at around midnight, according to Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP). Two other reactors at the plant are operating normally, it said.

The shutdown was decided according to an emergency guideline, said KHNP officials. It is unknown when they will resume operation.

The reactors were designed to withstand tremors with magnitudes of 5-6, they said. There were no reports of radiation leak from the reactors.