Nuclear safety commission to hold second review of Kori 3 and 4 operating extensions

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will meet on the 27th for its second review of continued-operation permits for Kori units 3 and 4 in Gijang, Busan. Unit 3 stopped operating when its design life ended on September 28, 2024, and unit 4 did so on August 6 last year.

The commission approved the reactors' accident management plans on the 15th after three rounds of discussions. The documents cover equipment, response strategies and training for design-basis accidents, multiple failures, external disasters beyond the design basis and severe accidents. The continued-operation proposal was first introduced that same day, but its late placement on the agenda left each commissioner time for only one round of questions.

Approval of accident management plans and continued-operation permits are separate agenda items. Nuclear industry observers cautiously anticipate possible approval at this meeting, judging that overlapping issues such as severe-accident response have already been substantially addressed.

If continued operation is approved, unit 3 could operate until September 2034 and unit 4 until August 2035. Current rules count shutdown time toward the permitted operating period, so allowing for several months of restart preparations would leave actual operating periods of about seven years and eight years, respectively.

Environmental groups criticize the review as inadequate, saying it has failed to ensure safety.