South Korea's Nuclear Safety Watchdog Approves Saeul-3 Reactor Operation

SEOUL, Dec. 30  (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea's nuclear watchdog gave an official nod to the operation of the Saeul-3 reactor Tuesday, with its commercial launch set for next year, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission made the decision after holding a meeting on whether to approve the operation of the Saeul-3, a homegrown APR1400 reactor located at the Saeul Nuclear Power Site in the southeastern port city of Ulsan.

The move came about two weeks after the commission delayed its final decision in its initial meeting.

Following the decision, the unit, whose construction began in 2016, will undergo a pilot run over the next six months.

The Saeul-3 marks the first South Korean nuclear reactor designed to withstand aircraft attacks, featuring walls measuring 137 centimetres in thickness, 15 centimetres thicker than those of earlier reactors.

The reactor has a spent nuclear fuel storage capacity of up to 60 years, sufficient to store the entire volume generated over its design life.

The unit was formerly known as Kori-5 before being renamed in 2022.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP