Evaluation for continued operation of Gori Units 3 and 4 begins... Simultaneous review of the accident management plan

Nuclear Safety and Security Commission submits first proposal for continued operation permit on the 15th

Third review of the accident management plan... Pay attention to whether it is approved or not

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Cho Seung-han = Units 3 and 4 of the Gijang Gori Nuclear Power Plant in Busan, which had stopped operating, ended up being reviewed for continued operation without completing the review of the accident management plan.

According to the nuclear power community on the 13th, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will hold its 2026-16 meeting on the 15th to submit the approval of the accident management plan for Kori Units 3 and 4 as the first item, and the proposal to permit the continued operation of Kori Units 3 and 4 as the third item.

This is the third time the accident management plan has been reviewed, and this is the first time the continued operation permit plan has been submitted to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission meeting.

The accident management plan is a ‘comprehensive manual’ that contains the management scope of nuclear power plant accidents, management facilities, management strategies, and training plans.

Although it is separate from the permission to continue driving, it is considered a 'gateway' to discussions on life extension as it overlaps with many of the contents, such as response to serious accidents.

Previously, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission reviewed the accident management plans for Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2, which are the same type, twice, but was unable to reach a conclusion.

At the second meeting, resolution through a vote was discussed, but the Democratic Party of Korea's recommended members Park Jong-woon and Jin Jae-yong and the government-recommended member Lee Kang-geun opposed the vote and decided to resubmit it to the next meeting.

Accordingly, the accident management plan approval plan and the continued operation permit plan were discussed at the same meeting, reproducing a similar situation to the deliberation of Kori Unit 2 last year.

At the time, as the two agendas were discussed together, some raised the procedural issue that approval of the accident management plan had to be completed first and then the continued operation permit proposal had to be reviewed.

In the nuclear energy world, there are many cases where the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission reaches a conclusion in the third deliberation on major issues, so there are cautious predictions that the accident management plan approval may be passed this time.

However, since the continued operation permit proposal is being deliberated for the first time while discussions related to the accident management plan approval plan have not been completed, some analysts say that it will be difficult for a full-scale review to take place on this day.

Gori Unit 3 ceased operation on September 28, 2024, and Unit 4 ceased operation on August 6 of last year. If the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission gives permission for continued operation, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power can pursue the restart of the two nuclear power plants through related procedures.