Energy Vice Minister Park Ki-young Visits Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant to Inspect Safety Operation Status

Visit to Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant and MACSTOR Construction Site... Meeting with Local Government Administrative Council for Nuclear Power Plant Locations

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Park Ki-young, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant site on the 3rd to inspect the current status of safe nuclear power plant operations.

Regarding the current detection of tritium at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, a civilian investigation team led by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is conducting an investigation. Vice Minister Park urged active cooperation with the civilian investigation team’s progress, transparent information disclosure, and safe nuclear facility management so that the public can accept the investigation results.

He also visited the Macster site, a temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, where expansion construction has been underway since its groundbreaking in August last year. Vice Minister Park requested thorough safety management during the construction process, as well as efforts to provide information and communication activities to residents during construction and operation, since Macster was decided upon after gathering opinions from local residents. Recently, with the National Assembly proposing the "Special Act on the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste," national responsibility for the safe management of spent nuclear fuel is being emphasized, and he stated that they will do their best to prepare policies that reassure the public.

Vice Minister Park also encouraged the staff regarding Wolseong Unit 4’s record of the highest number of trouble-free safe operations (13 times) and asked for thorough completion of the currently ongoing planned preventive maintenance so that it can contribute to winter power supply as planned.

Additionally, Vice Minister Park held a communication meeting with the administrative council of local governments hosting nuclear power plants at Gyeongju City Hall. The local government heads attending the meeting proposed systematic support for the long-term development of local governments hosting nuclear power plants, along with related regional issues.

Vice Minister Park stated, "Local support and cooperation are important for the stable operation of nuclear power plants, and the government recently established the Nuclear Power Plant Regional Cooperation Division with this purpose in mind. Taking this opportunity, we will operate nuclear power plants more safely and improve support projects so that local residents can feel tangible benefits."

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