S. Korea to conduct stress tests on nuclear reactors
South Korea will conduct stress tests on nuclear reactors located near the epicenter of the recent earthquake by the end of next year to improve their ability to withstand future tremors, the government said Sunday.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the measures after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Gyeongju, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Monday. The strongest tremor to hit the Korean Peninsula to date rang alarms because the epicenter was located some 9 kilometers south of the historic city, not far from commercial nuclear reactors and a nuclear waste disposal facility.
The four Wolseong reactors were shut down temporarily following the quake as a precautionary measure. The reactors were originally designed to withstand sizable earthquakes and did not experience any problems following the latest temblor.
Following initial examinations of the Wolseong reactors, the ministry convened a meeting with state-run power providers, energy companies and nuclear authorities to discuss follow-up measures to enhance the safety of energy generating and other major industrial facilities.
The energy ministry said it will complete stress tests on Wolseong reactors by the end of next year and check other nuclear power plants by 2019, one year ahead of its original plan.
"We need to reconsider anti-earthquake measures on major industrial and energy facilities under the premise that the Korean Peninsula is no longer safe from earthquakes," Energy Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said during the meeting.
"The government will seek ways to complement earthquake-proof measures and investment plans, and come up with a comprehensive safety plan on energy facilities after consulting with experts at home and abroad."
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the state-run nuclear reactor operator, said it will improve earthquake-proofing measures at 24 reactors from the current magnitude 6.5 to 7.0 by April 2018. It also pledged to bolster earthquake-resistant measures at existing nuclear waste disposal facilities and step up the monitoring system.
As part of its efforts, the Korea Gas Corporation said it will increase the number of earthquake monitoring gauges from the current 141 to 147 by the end of 2017. (Yonhap)