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Amid differing opinions on whether to stop or continue operating the old nuclear power plant, a report was submitted to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission that further use of Kori Nuclear Power Plant No. 2, whose design life is 40 years in April of next year, is acceptable.

It is an evaluation that the 'abolition of nuclear power plants' has begun as a promise made by President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.



This is reporter Jang Hoon-kyung.



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This is Busan Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2, whose design life of 40 years will end in April next year.



In accordance with the current government's policy to phase out nuclear power, it is certain that the operation will be stopped.



However, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has been insisting on using more old nuclear power plants as a guarantee for safety.



[Yoon Seok-yeol/President-elect (November of last year): There is currently no alternative other than clean, safe and efficient nuclear power generation.

Calling nuclear power out of nuclear power is a story about going bankrupt.]



Yesterday (4th), KHNP submitted a safety evaluation report to the Nuclear Safety Committee stating that it is better to continue operating Kori Unit 2.



It is known that safety has been secured during the operation period, and the radiation environmental impact assessment has also satisfied the standard.



The safety evaluation report should have been submitted by last year, but the deadline was postponed when the Board of Audit and Inspection ordered that it also prepare guidelines for economic evaluation.



It is evaluated that the report was submitted just before the inauguration of the new government at just the right time, signaling the end of the nuclear phase-out policy.



However, in order to extend the lifespan, it is necessary to undergo a license review by the NSSC as well as to supplement the facilities, so that operation should be temporarily suspended in April next year when the design life ends.



[Joohyun Moon/Professor, Department of Energy Engineering, Dankook University: Just because it is stopped for several tens of months does not mean there is a big problem with safety.

completely drained of nuclear fuel...

.]



In the economic evaluation, it was analyzed that if Kori Unit 2 is operated again around August 2026 after the shutdown, it will generate 160 billion won in profits for about 7 years.



The design life of 10 nuclear power plants will expire within the next 10 years, and KHNP said that it will discuss whether to extend the lifespan after evaluating safety and economic feasibility like Kori Unit 2.



(Video editing: Park Chun-bae)