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Nuclear watchdog delays decision on lifespan extension of Kori-2 reactor

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By Yonhap
  • Published KST
  • Updated KST
Nuclear Safety and Security Commission officials convene at the comission's office in central Seoul to decide whether to approve the continued operation of the Kori-2 nuclear reactor in Busan's Gijang. Yonhap

Nuclear Safety and Security Commission officials convene at the comission's office in central Seoul to decide whether to approve the continued operation of the Kori-2 nuclear reactor in Busan's Gijang. Yonhap

Korea's nuclear watchdog said Thursday it has delayed a decision on whether to extend the lifespan of the 42-year-old Kori-2 nuclear reactor by 10 years.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission convened a meeting Thursday to decide on the reactor's future but said it will take more time to review a request from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), the state-run operator, to restart and run the reactor beyond its initial 40-year license.

This is the first of 10 lifespan extension requests submitted by KHNP for its aging reactors and is expected to serve as a barometer for the fate of the others.

The 650-megawatt Kori-2 lightwater reactor on Korea's southeast coast started commercial operation in April 1983. It is the country's oldest active reactor, aside from the Kori-1 and Wolsong-1 reactors, which have been permanently shut down.

Kori-2 has been offline since April 2023, when its 40-year operating license expired. If approved, its operation would be extended until April 2033.

It would also become the first nuclear facility in Korea to receive a lifespan extension since 2015, when the Wolsong-1 reactor was cleared to resume operations.

The outcome of the Kori-2 case is expected to set a precedent for nine other aging reactors. Among them, Kori-3 and Kori-4 have already been suspended, while seven others are set to reach the end of their operating lives by 2030.

Experts say possible extensions or resumptions could help bolster the country's power supply.

President Lee Jae Myung has said his government will continue using existing nuclear reactors as part of a "reasonable energy mix," even as it maintains its opposition to building new ones.

Korea has 26 nuclear reactors in operation, from which it currently gets about 30 percent of its electricity supply.