Professors Opposing Nuclear Phase-Out Demand Halt to Attempts to Undermine Audit of Wolseong Unit 1

"Government and Ruling Party Pressure on Board of Audit and Inspection... Impact on Wolseong Unit 1 Audit"
"If Early Shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 Is Not Solely Based on Economic Feasibility,
Disclose to the Public the Grounds for Safety, Environmental, and Acceptability Assessments and the Decision-Making Process"

Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant. (Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The 'Professors' Council for Rational Energy Policy' (PCREP), opposing the government's nuclear phase-out policy, urged on the 27th for the government and ruling party to stop attempts to undermine the audit of Wolseong Unit 1.

PCREP recalled the results of a survey by the Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Policy Review Committee (Review Committee) on the 24th, which showed that 81.4% of local residents (citizen participation group) supported the expansion of the temporary storage facility (MACSTOR) for spent nuclear fuel at Wolseong Units 2, 3, and 4.

They emphasized that the noteworthy point was that in a survey on groups trusted by the citizen participation group, nuclear experts and scientists had the highest trust level at 83%.

PCREP stated, "The overwhelming support of local residents for the expansion of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant MACSTOR proves that the baseless nuclear fear-mongering by anti-nuclear environmental groups no longer works."

Furthermore, PCREP claimed, "The government and ruling party are trying to neutralize the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of Wolseong Unit 1," and demanded that the pressure be stopped immediately.

According to PCREP, Song Gap-seok, the ruling party's secretary of the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, pressured the Board of Audit and Inspection on the 9th and 23rd.

On the 9th, Rep. Song claimed, "The Board of Audit and Inspection is conducting coercive investigations to produce answers based solely on economic feasibility."

He raised similar issues during the government questioning on the 23rd. Rep. Song questioned, "(Chairman Choi Jae-hyung) did not hesitate to make remarks denying the legitimacy of government tasks, such as saying, 'Can the government's national tasks, which received only 41% support in the presidential election, be said to have gained public consensus?'"

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo also stated during the government questioning, "The decision to prematurely shut down Wolseong Unit 1 was made by comprehensively considering not only economic feasibility but also safety, environmental impact, and acceptability."

PCREP viewed Minister Sung's remarks as implying that the Board of Audit and Inspection needs to consider the proactive administration of policy officials. PCREP argued, "(Minister Sung's remarks) admit that Wolseong Unit 1 has economic feasibility."

Meanwhile, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu revealed in an interview with a media outlet the previous day that "The content introduced by Rep. Song on the 23rd during the National Assembly government questioning as remarks made by Chairman Choi during the Board of Audit and Inspection's discretionary review of the audit of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 is all true."

PCREP criticized, "Baek's revelation of Chairman Choi's remarks in the audit committee, where confidentiality is the principle, is impossible to officially verify," adding, "It is a despicable and unjust statement that undermines the authority of the Board of Audit and Inspection and attempts to evade responsibility in the Wolseong Unit 1 audit that he triggered himself." PCREP said, "Statements aimed at neutralizing the strict audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection must be firmly withdrawn."

They also stated that if the permanent shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 is not due to economic feasibility, the decision-making process and grounds must be clearly presented.

PCREP argued, "Initially, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy claimed that based on an economic feasibility evaluation report prepared by setting the nuclear electricity sales price below 50 won/kWh and utilization rate below 60%, they judged that continuing operation of Wolseong Unit 1 was not economically feasible and decided on early shutdown. However, if the early shutdown decision was made by comprehensively considering not only economic feasibility but also safety, environmental impact, and acceptability, the decision-making process and grounds must be clearly presented to the public."

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