With a shift in President Moon's nuclear policy,...
construction of two nuclear reactors in Ulsan
has been put on hold.
It's part of the Moon adminstration's efforts
to reduce reliance on nuclear power... in
favor of renewable sources.
Many say it's a safer, greener choice, but
it's also proved controversial.
Kim Ji-yeon takes a closer look.
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.
