[Yonhap News Photo]
A nuclear reactor at South Korea's largest nuclear power complex near the southern port city of Busan was shut down manually Tuesday due to a coolant problem, operators said, reporting no radiation leaks.
The reactor in the Gori complex stopped due to an abnormal rise in the level of coolant at a collection tank, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) said, adding it was carrying a close examination to find the exact cause.
South Korea, which has almost no reserves of fossil fuels on its territory, has actively pushed for a nuclear energy program despite growing public concerns over nuclear safety, aging facilities and sporadic blackouts caused by faulty parts.
There are 23 nuclear reactors in operation, which meet one-third of the country's power needs. Five more are under construction. In December last year, the 25th reactor was put into test operation using a new home-made reactor called "APR 1400" which has been exported to the United Arab Emirates.
Nuclear power operators have been under pressure from environmental activists to close old facilities. Japan's 2011 nuclear meltdown in Fukushima drew unwelcome attention to the use of nuclear energy, but Seoul vowed to stick to its nuclear power program.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
