Heavy water leak reported at Wolsong-4 reactor; no radiation issue reported

A leak of heavy water from a nuclear reactor in the southeastern region of the country occurred earlier in the week, with no radiation-related issues detected, nuclear safety officials said Thursday.

The leak incident at the Wolsong-4 reactor in the city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, was reported by the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission at around 2:26 p.m. on Wednesday.

Nuclear safety officials said they plan to dispatch a group of experts for on-site inspection. No irregularities in external radiation levels have been detected.

As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the amount of heavy water leaked was estimated at 208 kilograms (458 pounds), but the water has not escaped outside the facility, the commission said.

The Wolsong-4 reactor has been shut down for a regular inspection since July. The KHNP said it immediately closed related pumps after detecting the leak.

Yonhap