New nuclear reactor in Ulsan gets green light for operation

Construction site view of the Saeul nuclear power plant Units 3 and 4 (Nuclear Safety and Security Commission) — A construction site for a nuclear reactor is seen in Ulsan, in this undated file photo. Yonhap

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The government committee for nuclear energy on Tuesday gave a green light to the operation of a nuclear reactor in Ulsan, ahead of its commercial launch scheduled for sometime next year.

The committee said it approved the operation of the Saeul-3 reactor, formally known as Kori, in Ulju, Ulsan, after a meeting in which five of six members voted in favor, following safety reviews by the state-funded Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety as well as prior assessments by other experts.

The approval comes about nine years after construction began in 2016 and is the first for a new nuclear reactor since the Shinhanul-2 reactor in nearby Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province two years ago.

The committee's chairman, Choi Won-ho, said, "We thoroughly checked safety in accordance on scientific and technological grounds," also vowing to conduct strict inspections during the reactor's test run.

Jang So-young onthespot@economidaily.com