Gov't to conduct detailed safety tests on Gori, Wolsong reactors

 The government plans to conduct detailed safety tests on two nuclear reactors that have exceeded their original operating life cycles to ensure no problems occur, an official said Sunday.

   The official, who declined to be identified, said the Nuclear Safety Commission will include plans to conduct so-called stress tests on the Gori 1 and Wolsong 1 reactors in a report to President-elect Park Geun-hye's transition committee. A stress test refers to a series of experiments that push the reactors to their absolute limits to see if they are safe to operate and all their systems meet durability standards.

   "The tests have been deemed necessary because there has been a string of minor mechanical breakdowns and scandals related to not fully tested parts being used on the reactors that have fueled public concerns," he said. The official added that the transition committee wanted information on how to enhance safety and lessen public fears.

   The Gori 1 unit, the country's oldest commercial reactor, reached its 30 year life cycle in June 2007, but was given authorization to be run for 10 more years after it was given a thorough checkup. The Wolsong 1 unit also reached it initial operating limit date in November, with experts reviewing what actions need to be taken to keep it in use for the immediate future.

   Experts said that both reactors have been checked so they can be kept in operation. The two units, along with 19 other reactors in the country, have all been examined in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011.

   Nuclear experts said that a reactor that reached its initial design life cycle can stay in operation if its parts have been changed and the latest safety upgrades have been incorporated into the system.

   Meanwhile, Seoul has moved to deal firmly with the scandal involving the use of unauthorized parts in non-essential areas of local reactors by unifying purchasing arrangements and conducting tests on quality. Companies that fail to meet standards will be penalized and their contracts nullified so they cannot sell parts for reactors for up to 10 years. (Yonhap News)