South korea: South Korea's nuclear watchdog announced Thursday that it has postponed a decision on whether to extend the operational lifespan of the 42-year-old Kori-2 nuclear reactor by an additional 10 years. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) held a meeting to determine the reactor's future but decided to allocate more time to assess the request from Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), the state-owned operator, to restart and continue running the reactor beyond its original 40-year license.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this is the first of 10 lifespan extension requests submitted by KHNP for its aging reactors. The decision regarding Kori-2 is anticipated to serve as a benchmark for the fate of the other reactors. The 650-megawatt Kori-2 lightwater reactor, located on the southeast coast of South Korea, began its commercial operations in April 1983. It is currently the oldest active reactor in the country, following the permanent shutdown of the Kori-1 and Wolsong-1 reactors.
Kori-2 has been offline since April 2023, following the expiration of its 40-year operating license. If the extension is approved, it would allow the reactor to operate until April 2033. This would mark the first nuclear facility in South Korea to receive a lifespan extension since 2015, when the Wolsong-1 reactor was permitted to resume operations.
The decision on Kori-2 is expected to set a precedent for nine other aging reactors. Among these, Kori-3 and Kori-4 have already been suspended, while seven others are scheduled to reach the end of their operational lives by 2030. Experts suggest that potential extensions or resumptions could enhance the country's power supply.
President Lee Jae Myung has stated that his government will continue to utilize existing nuclear reactors as part of a "reasonable energy mix," despite maintaining its stance against constructing new reactors. Currently, South Korea operates 26 nuclear reactors, which collectively provide approximately 30 percent of the nation's electricity supply.