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Korea to shut down Kori-4 nuclear reactor; decision on life span extension pending

Published: 06 Aug. 2025, 14:40

Nuclear reactors at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant in Busan are seen on June 26. [NEWS1]

Korea is set to terminate the operation of the Kori-4 nuclear reactor on Wednesday as it has reached the end of its life span, its operator said.

The No. 4 reactor at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located in Busan, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will be shut down at 2 p.m., according to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. (KHNP).

The 950,000-kilowatt reactor began commercial operations in November 1985.

Although the reactor continues to function without any issues due to facility upgrades, it is being suspended per its originally designated 40-year design life span.

The government is currently considering allowing reactors that have reached the end of their design life span to continue operating for an additional 10 years, as permitted by the law.

Kori-4 is undergoing the same approval process as Kori-3, which was also terminated last September.

KHNP submitted an application to the nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, to modify operations for continued use, and the review is currently in progress.

"Considering the usual time required for the review process, a decision on No. 2 is expected in the second half of this year, while the results for No. 3 and No. 4 will likely be announced sometime next year," an industry official said.

Kori-1, which began operation in 1978 with a design life span of 30 years, operated for nearly 40 years following an extension. In 2017, KHNP decided to permanently shut it down and applied for decommissioning approval in 2021.

Yonhap