Construction has been halted on two nuclear
reactors in Korea's southeastern city of Ulsan...
over safety concerns.
For now, the shutdown is not permanent, but
it has proved controversial.
It's part of the government's efforts to reduce
the country's reliance on nuclear power...
in favor of renewable sources.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
Board members of the state-run nuclear operator...
has decided to suspend the construction of
two nuclear reactors... in Korea's southeastern
city of Ulsan, for three months... due to
safety concerns.
The decision was made with all 13 board members
present, with 12 of them voting for the suspension,...
and one dissenter voting aginst the move.
With the board's decision... a nine-member
public debate committee, will deliberate during
the three-month suspension period,... on whether
the reactors' should be shut down permanently.
The Moon administration had already ordered
the suspension of the reactors last month,
as part of its efforts to phase out nuclear
power in favor of cleaner, renewable sources.
The board decision was originally scheduled
for Thursday,... but was postponed due to
protests by the reactor's construction workers,
as well as labor union members.
Workers fear they will lose their jobs due
to the suspension,... while union members
from the state-run nuclear operator... is
threatening to sue the board for convening
the meeting in secret.
The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company
estimates... the board's decision will affect
12-thousand-800 on-site workers,... incurring
personnel expenses of more than 88-million
U.S. dollars over the 3-month
suspension period.
This, on top of the 1-point-4-billion dollar
construction costs that has already been injected
into the construction of the reactors.
A survey of over one thousand respondents
by Gallup Korea shows,.. 41-percent of respondents
were in favor of shutting down the reactors,
while 37-percent said construction must continue,...
and 22-percent reserved their opinions on
the matter.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
