'Wolseong Nuclear Plant Tritium Suspicion' First Issue Raised by Anti-Nuclear Group "Gyeongju City Public-Private Investigation Team Must Be Reorganized"

Members of the Anti-Nuclear Gyeongju Citizens' Coalition held a rally on December 15 last year in front of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, demanding a thorough investigation into the damage to the waterproof membrane of the temporary spent nuclear fuel storage pool.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The 'Anti-Nuclear Gyeongju Citizens' Joint Action,' which raised suspicions of tritium leakage at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant last December, has opposed Gyeongju City's public-private joint investigation that excluded them.

The 'Anti-Nuclear Gyeongju Citizens' Joint Action' (Executive Director Lee Sang-hong), composed of 18 civic groups in the Gyeongju area, stated in a press release on the 3rd, "As the party who raised concerns about the damage and neglect of the containment barrier of Unit 1 at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant and the suspicion of radioactive leakage, we oppose the composition and activities of Gyeongju City's investigation team," demanding a reorganization of the investigation team.

Gyeongju Anti-Nuclear said, "The current investigation team by Gyeongju City clearly shows its limitations in its title as 'to secure the safety management of tritium,'" adding, "The inclusion of Professor Jeong Yong-hoon, who trivialized the radiation exposure of residents near the nuclear power plant by comparing it to bananas and anchovies, which sparked public outrage, also illustrates this well."

They continued, "The purpose of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant investigation is to find the cause of radioactive leakage and to establish fundamental recurrence prevention measures to block the leakage," emphasizing, "This opportunity should be used to conduct a safety inspection of the aging Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant as a whole."

Furthermore, they expressed concern, saying, "In the composition of Gyeongju City's investigation team, most local figures are pro-nuclear, and external experts are judged to have little on-site practical experience," adding, "The investigation team has no regulatory authority to access nuclear power plant facilities. Based on the data shown and submitted by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), the conclusion desired by KHNP will be drawn."

Meanwhile, Gyeongju City formed a public-private joint investigation team centered on the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Closure Civil Environmental Monitoring Organization and began investigation activities for six months starting from the 2nd. The investigation team consists of 25 members recommended by the Gyeongju City Council, Gyeongju City, resident representatives, and civic groups.

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