Nuclear safety watchdog delays Saeul-3 reactor operation approval

A view of the construction site of Saeul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 in Ulsan / Yonhap

Korea's nuclear watchdog on Friday decided to conduct a further review of the operation of the Saeul-3 reactor before granting official approval.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission made the decision after holding a meeting on whether to approve the operation of the Saeul-3, a homegrown APR1400 reactor located at the Saeul Nuclear Power Site in the southeastern port city of Ulsan.

If approved, the unit, whose construction began in 2016, will undergo a pilot run over the next six months.

The Saeul-3 marks the first South Korean nuclear reactor designed to withstand aircraft attacks, featuring walls measuring 137 centimeters in thickness, 15 centimeters thicker than those of earlier reactors.

The reactor has a spent nuclear fuel storage capacity of up to 60 years, sufficient to store the entire volume generated over its design life.

The unit was formerly known as Kori-5 before being renamed in 2022.