225 Professors Opposing Nuclear Phase-Out Demand Immediate Resumption of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 Construction

"Suspension of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Board Audit on Permanent Shutdown of Wolsong Unit 1 is Illegal
Choi Jae-hyung, Chairman of Board of Audit and Inspection, Subject to Constitutional Impeachment"
"Dissolve the Reexamination Committee and Immediately Implement Wolsong Unit 1 MACSTOR Expansion"

The photo shows the 'National Signature Campaign Headquarters for Opposing Nuclear Phase-Out and Resuming Construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4' holding a press conference at the fountain in front of the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on January 21. After the press conference, the National Signature Campaign Headquarters moved to the Yeonpungmun Gate of the Blue House and met with Kang Ki-jung, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, delivering a public letter to the President along with a petition signed by 330,000 people opposing the nuclear phase-out and requesting the resumption of construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] A group of 225 university professors from the "Professors' Council for Rational Energy Policy" (Egyopyeop), opposing the government's nuclear phase-out (energy transition) policy, urged that "the construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4, which was illegally halted, must be immediately resumed." They also warned that the Board of Audit and Inspection's indefinite postponement of the audit on the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) board's decision to permanently shut down Wolsong Unit 1 is illegal, stating that "Chairman Choi Jae-hyung of the Board of Audit and Inspection is subject to impeachment under the Constitution."

On the 18th, Egyopyeop issued a statement demanding ▲ the resumption of construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 ▲ the public disclosure of the audit results on KHNP's board by the Board of Audit and Inspection ▲ the dissolution of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee and the commencement of expansion construction of the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant's MACSTOR (dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel) ▲ the suspension of the National Climate and Environment Council under the President's Office from making decisions on energy mix through public deliberation.

Photo by Yonhap News

First, they raised their voices to resume construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. The Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 construction project, with a total budget of 8.26 trillion KRW, was confirmed in the 7th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand established in 2015 but was halted under the Moon Jae-in administration. Doosan Heavy Industries was the company that manufactured about 30% of the main equipment used in this project.

Egyopyeop argued that Doosan Heavy Industries is a company that produces core equipment for nuclear and thermal power plants, and if this company goes on hiatus, it would be tantamount to the complete collapse of South Korea's energy industry base. They warned that if reactors are not properly produced due to the hiatus, not only will the nuclear technology developed over 70 years be completely lost, but advanced machinery production technologies such as the fusion reactor (K-STAR) will also become obsolete. They also viewed the regional economy of Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, the center of South Korea's machinery and parts industry, as already sunk.

Egyopyeop criticized the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's claim that Doosan Heavy Industries' collapse was due to management's misjudgment as "absurd and sophistry," stating that "the collapse of Doosan Heavy Industries is due to the Ministry's blindly pushed illegal and unrealistic 'nuclear phase-out and coal phase-out' policies." They further criticized that "the Ministry prevented payment for the reactor equipment of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4, which KHNP had completed under a normal contract."

Chairman Choi Jae-hyung of the Board of Audit and Inspection. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

They also demanded the immediate disclosure of the audit results on KHNP's board by the Board of Audit and Inspection. Egyopyeop stated, "The Board of Audit and Inspection's failure to report the audit results on the permanent shutdown decision of Wolsong Unit 1, requested by the National Assembly through a plenary session resolution, within the deadline stipulated in Article 127-2 of the National Assembly Act, is a very serious legal violation," and pointed out that "Chairman Choi, who 'violated the Constitution or laws while performing his duties,' is subject to impeachment under Article 65 of the Constitution."

Article 65, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution states, "When the President, Prime Minister, State Council members, heads of administrative departments, Constitutional Court justices, judges, members of the National Election Commission, Chairman and members of the Board of Audit and Inspection, or other public officials prescribed by law violate the Constitution or laws in the execution of their duties, the National Assembly may pass a resolution to impeach them."

Egyopyeop condemned Chairman Choi's public summoning by the Prime Minister for a meeting, the promotion of bureaucrats from the Prime Minister's Office to audit committee members, and the decision to indefinitely postpone the audit report as a serious violation of the authority and independence of the Board of Audit and Inspection and an unconstitutional outrage. They urged, "Immediately cancel the permanent shutdown disposition of Wolsong Unit 1, which is technically essential for public safety, sustainable environment, and the normalization of KHNP's management, and restart its operation."

They also called for the dissolution of the Review Committee and the immediate commencement of the expansion construction of the MACSTOR at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant. Egyopyeop claimed that the Review Committee was arbitrarily established and operated without legal grounds. They criticized the Review Committee's unilateral extension by four months of the saturation forecast for the spent nuclear fuel facility, implemented on the 12th without consultation with KHNP, the operator of Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, as an overreach, noting that the committee lacks basic expertise in nuclear plant operation and nuclear fuel disposal.

They stated that the decision by the Review Committee would seriously threaten public safety and the power supply system. They emphasized that ▲ the saturation timing of the spent nuclear fuel facility varies depending on the power plant utilization rate, and ▲ a comprehensive analysis of the operation status of Wolsong Units 2, 3, and 4 based on regulations and international standards for nuclear power and spent nuclear fuel management is necessary to accurately observe the saturation timing.

Egyopyeop pointed out, "It is impossible to determine the saturation forecast timing based solely on exceptional data such as 'last year's power production figures' and 'extended maintenance of Wolsong Unit 3,' which KHNP provided," and criticized that "delaying the timely completion of MACSTOR expansion due to meaningless controversy is as dangerous as a wrong decision."

They further argued, "Despite repeated warnings from experts, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's commissioning of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society to verify the saturation timing of the already approved MACSTOR expansion wastes precious months again, which can only be seen as neglect of duty."

At the inauguration ceremony of the Presidential National Climate and Environment Council for Solving Fine Dust Problems held on the 29th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, attendees including Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General and chairman of the council, Noh Young-min, Chief Presidential Secretary, and Cho Myung-rae, Minister of Environment, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Egyopyeop also raised concerns about the National Climate and Environment Council's procedure of deciding the energy mix through public deliberation. They stated that the energy mix should be decided by legitimate bodies such as the Green Growth Committee and the Energy Committee according to procedures stipulated in laws like the "Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth," and that it is absolutely not a matter that the National Climate and Environment Council, which lacks clear legal grounds, can decide.

Egyopyeop said, "Deciding the energy mix, which should be based on high expertise and a vision for the future, through 'public deliberation' without legal grounds and unverified effectiveness is a very dangerous idea that can seriously threaten the national economy and people's lives," and added, "'Public deliberation' is by no means a legitimate policy decision method for determining national policies."

They further claimed, "The National Climate and Environment Council, which lacks even common-sense expertise on critical climate and environmental issues that determine the nation's future and blatantly reveals political bias by intentionally excluding nuclear experts, no longer has any reason to exist."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.