S. Korea Approves 10-Year Extension to Oldest Active Nuclear Reactor
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission authorized the 10-year lease extension for the reactor, a decision anticipated to establish a regulatory blueprint for an additional nine aging units awaiting similar approval. According to media, state-operated Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. has lined up a succession of life-extension applications leveraging the Kori-2 precedent.
Situated along South Korea's southern shoreline, Kori-2 commenced electricity production in 1983 before being taken offline two years ago following 40 years of continuous operations. Two sister units—Kori-1 and Wolsong-1—have already undergone permanent retirement.
The approval arrives amid divergent policy pressures. The Lee Jae Myung administration maintains its commitment to expanding renewable energy infrastructure; simultaneously, industrial stakeholders have sounded alarms over potential capacity deficits looming as electricity consumption surges, particularly from the artificial intelligence sector's exponential growth.
South Korea's nuclear fleet currently comprises 26 active reactors commanding a collective 25,609 MWe output. During 2024, these installations supplied 188,754 GWh to the grid, according to data compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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