Sung Yun-mo "Audit of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power by Board of Audit and Inspection is a serious concern... Must be judged comprehensively"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, expressed serious concerns about the audit conducted by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) on Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) regarding the decision to shut down Wolseong Unit 1. He stated, "There is a great concern. The BAI needs to consider active administration." He also emphasized that the validity of shutting down Wolseong Unit 1 should be judged comprehensively, not only based on economic feasibility but also on low utilization rates and safety.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, during a government questioning session at the National Assembly, Minister Sung responded to a question from Song Gap-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who said, "The current audit by the BAI on KHNP is excessively focused solely on economic issues." Minister Sung said, "The early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 was a decision made by considering not only economic feasibility based on KHNP's accounting standards but also social costs such as safety," adding, "I am greatly concerned that the officials responsible for implementing the policy with a sense of responsibility are undergoing intense investigations."

He continued, "The energy transition policy reflects changes in the times and policy environment," and said, "I believe the BAI needs to consider active administration."

Regarding the reason for shutting down Wolseong Unit 1, a heavy water reactor, Minister Sung said, "It produces ten times more radioactive materials compared to light water reactors. Tritium was also detected in the bodies of residents near Wolseong Unit 1," adding, "The average annual utilization rate is about 51%, which is significantly lower compared to the maximum 91% of Units 2 to 4."

He further stated, "Over the past ten years, an average annual deficit of 100 billion won has occurred, resulting in a total deficit of 830 billion won. There were also frequent malfunctions," and added, "The shutdown decision made in 2015 was in the same context."

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