Shin Hanul·Continued Operation Reshapes Nuclear Power... Emphasis on Practical 'Nuclear Phase-Out Reversal'

Resumption of Cheonji and Daejin Construction Virtually Halted Due to Resident Opposition
KHNP Proceeding with Site Sale Process... Designation Withdrawn in March Last Year
Forcing Resumption Could Trigger Fallout... Burden in Opposition-Controlled National Assembly
Continuous Operation Keeps Nuclear Power Share at 33.8%... No Issue Meeting Target

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol answering reporters' questions
(Seoul=Yonhap News) President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is responding to reporters' questions during the 3rd Cabinet announcement held at the 20th Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Seoul, on the 14th. On this day, President-elect Yoon announced Lee Jeong-sik, former Secretary-General of the Korea Labor Foundation, as the nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, and Jeong Hwang-geun, former Administrator of the Rural Development Administration, as the nominee for Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. April 14, 2022 [Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps]
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The Presidential Transition Committee's decision to halt discussions on resuming construction of the Cheonji and Daejin nuclear power plants is aimed at a practical 'complete rollback of the nuclear phase-out policy.' To restart construction of Cheonji Units 1 and 2 and Daejin Units 1 and 2, site selection must begin anew. Due to the nuclear phase-out policy over the past five years, the Cheonji and Daejin projects, for which the previous administration had painstakingly completed site selection, have been reset to square one. The opposition from local residents and civic groups during site selection poses a significant burden.

According to related ministries on the 18th, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power is proceeding with the sale of the Cheonji site. This is a follow-up measure after the government withdrew the designation of the Cheonji site as a nuclear power plant planned area in March last year. KHNP plans to receive repurchase applications by the 20th and then proceed with the remaining sales procedures. In the case of the Daejin site, it was designated as a nuclear power plant planned area in 2012, but the government did not purchase the site.

Not Included in Yoon’s Pledges

The Transition Committee judged that resuming construction of Cheonji and Daejin is difficult considering these circumstances. Experts also foresee that even if construction work on Cheonji and Daejin begins immediately after the new government takes office, site selection may not be completed during the term. Professor Lee Hyun-chul of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pusan National University explained, "The biggest obstacle to resuming construction of Cheonji and Daejin is obtaining residents' consent," adding, "The Daejin site was designated as a nuclear power plant area in 1982 but faced opposition from residents and was deregulated in 1998."

Resuming the Cheonji and Daejin nuclear power plants is not part of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol’s pledges. President-elect Yoon has emphasized 'continued operation of nuclear power plants' and 'immediate resumption of construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4' as key nuclear power pledges. This is one of the reasons the Transition Committee decided not to forcibly push for the resumption of Cheonji and Daejin construction, which could trigger social upheaval. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also excluded plans to resume Cheonji and Daejin construction in recent Transition Committee briefings, focusing instead on continued operation and Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4.

The current political landscape, with the ruling party holding fewer seats than the opposition, is also considered a factor. From the perspective of the new government, which urgently needs cooperation from the Democratic Party, pushing forward with the resumption of Cheonji and Daejin construction, which is sure to face opposition from the opposition party, would have little practical benefit. Insisting on resuming Cheonji and Daejin construction could also hinder other nuclear policies, such as the enactment of the 'High-Level Radioactive Waste Special Act,' which even the opposition party agrees on.

Focus on Continued Operation and Shin Hanul

The nuclear power generation share target set by President-elect Yoon was a decisive factor. He has stated that the share of nuclear power generation will be maintained at 30-35%. The Transition Committee believes that extending the design life of existing nuclear power plants and resuming construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 will make achieving this target feasible. The Ministry of Industry reported to the Transition Committee that continued operation of 10 nuclear power plants, whose lifespans will expire sequentially by 2030, could raise the nuclear power generation share from 27.4% last year to 33.8% by 2030, an increase of 6.4 percentage points.

Ultimately, the Daejin and Cheonji nuclear power plants are expected to be excluded from the energy master plan to be established by the next government. The Transition Committee is considering advancing the schedule for establishing the energy master plan, known as the 'energy constitution,' by about two years to the third quarter of this year. The Ministry of Industry holds the position that if the 4th energy master plan is established within this year, it should reflect continued operation and the resumption of construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. The 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, to be established by the government at the end of this year, is also likely to emphasize continued operation and Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4. The Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, established every two years, is formulated under the framework of the energy master plan.

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