Units 5 and 6 at South Korea's Yeonggwang nuclear plant will remain shut down until at least the end of the year as Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. replaces thousands of components with suspect documentation.
The two OPR 1000 pressurized water reactors were shut down Monday following a government investigation into substandard parts supplied to Korean nuclear plants. Quoting the country's knowledge economy minister, Asia One News reported that parts suppliers were found to have faked 60 warranties for 234 components dating back to 2003, and a total of 7,682 items will now require replacement. About 99 percent of the components placed into service were installed at Yeonggwang, with the rest installed at three other reactors around the country. Parts installed at the other plants will be replaced while they are still in operation.
Officials quoted by Reuters said the parts included items like fuses, switches and heat sensors, and that they did not pose a safety risk. Nonetheless, Korean regulators have launched a large investigation that will inspect all 23 of the country's reactors for parts with forged documentation.
Adding to the troubles of the country's utility sector, the CEO of KHNPC parent company Korea Electric Power Co. has tendered his resignation. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced Kim Joong-kyum's intention to leave the company on Wednesday. It was unclear if the move was related to the parts investigation, the Yonhap news agency reported, as Kim had also clashed with government bodies over proposed electric rate increases and a lawsuit against the country's state-run electricity distributor.