South Korea's first nuclear reactor is now
off,... and off for good.
The Kori-1's retirement ceremony on Monday
was attended by President Moon Jae-in himself.
The president says he wants to make South
Korea a nation that doesn't need to rely on
nuclear power for its energy needs.
Hwang Hojun starts us off.
It was built in 1977, and 40 years later...
"As of 12 AM on June 19th, 2017, Korea has
permanently shut down its first nuclear reactor,
Kori-1."
President Moon attended a ceremony Monday
morning to proclaim Korea's first commercial
nuclear reactor's retirement at the Kori Nuclear
Power Plant in Busan.
He said that the Kori-1 reactor has been the
symbol of Korea's industrialization and enabled
the nation to meet its increasing energy demands.
But also, according to the President, the
permanent shutdown of the Kori-1 reactor is
the first step toward a nuclear-free country,...
and in his own words,.... the turning point
toward a safer Korea.
"We will completely reexamine the existing
policies on nuclear power.
We will scrap the nuclear-centric polices
and move toward a nuclear-free era.
We will eliminate all plans to build new nuclear
plants."
While the decision to shut down the Kori-1
was made long before President Moon took office,
the President himself has pledged to close
down all nuclear power plants on Korean soil.
Nuclear safety reemerged as a major issue
for the public after the nuclear disaster
in Fukushima, Japan in 2011, and the 5.8-magnitude
earthquake that struck the Korean city of
Gyeongju last year -- an area not far from
a number of nuclear plants.
President Moon pledged that his administration
will proactively cultivate green and sustainable
energy like solar and offshore wind power,...
and establish an energy ecosystem suitable
for the fourth industrial revolution.
He also said the shutdown of Kori-1 can be
seen as another opportunity for Korea,...
since disassembling a nuclear reactor is not
only a matter of time but also incredible
skill.
According to the President, Korea will gain
these skills by dismantling Kori-1 and will
then be able to help other countries when
similar situations arise, especially amid
growing movements to denuclearize.
HWANG Hojun, Arirang News.
