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Nuclear reactors Shin Wolsong-1 and Shin Wolsong-2 in Gyeongju

South Korean nuclear power plants that have reopened following government approval have faced a string of malfunctions, bringing their operations to a halt. These accidents raise worrying questions about the safety of nuclear energy. There’s an urgent need for nuclear energy regulators to carry out thorough inspections and to prevent such accidents from reoccurring.

South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) was reportedly briefed by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) that the Shin Wolsong-2 reactor was automatically deactivated at 9:44 pm on Sept. 6, and the NSSC’s on-site office is apparently carrying out an initial assessment of the situation. The shutdown at Shin Wolsong-2 occurred just three days after the reactor was given the green light for reactivation by the NSSC on Sept. 3. This raises doubts about whether the NSSC was right to approve the reactor’s reactivation on the assumption that it was capable of safe operation.

Further kindling worries and doubts is the fact that this was the third time this year that a nuclear reactor was shut down soon after being reactivated. This past May, Hanbit-1 was manually shut down a single day after being authorized to resume operations. During a regular inspection, the reactor exhibited an unusually rapid increase in thermal output, prompting a manual shutdown. And in January, Hanbit-2 automatically deactivated because of a problem with a steam generator, just two days after being cleared to go back online. Both the accidents in January and May were determined to have been the fault of poor handling by the operators. This series of similar accidents is sure to stoke concerns about shortcomings in safety protocols at the country’s nuclear reactors.

At the moment, Shin Wolsong-2 is reportedly being maintained in a safe shutdown, and the level of radioactivity inside the reactor is being kept at normal levels, but that won’t alleviate locals’ anxiety. The NSSC is planning to put together a team of nuclear power experts to investigate this incident. Through that investigation, we need to ascertain the precise cause of the incident and take measures to prevent its recurrence so as to minimize concerns about nuclear energy.

Another question that must be asked is whether regulators have been too hasty in authorizing the reactors’ reactivation. We mustn’t take lightly the repetition of similar accidents. Given the risks of nuclear energy, and the potential for small mistakes and negligence to lead to major accidents, we must always remain vigilant.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]