KNHP board to meet to discuss reactor construction stoppage

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's nuclear power operator is set to hold a board meeting this week to touch on the issue of axing two planned nuclear power plants, officials said Thursday, as Seoul pushes forward a controversial nuclear-free energy policy of the Moon Jae-in administration.

The board of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) is scheduled to convene Friday and receive briefings on Shin-Kori 5 and 6, officials said, the two reactors being prepared for construction in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

President Moon last month declared he will pursue clean and renewable energy and that he will halt construction of all new reactors and shut down aged facilities that reach their max life cycle. The policy has raised controversy and questions about the potential electricity price hikes and power shortages.

The government has temporarily suspended construction of the two reactors for three months, hoping to measure public opinion during the period.

"Friday's board meeting is for receiving overall briefings. There won't be a decision on scrapping the reactor construction," an official at KHNP said. "The date of the board meeting that will make the decision has not yet been set, and it will be decided in consultations with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy."

The board has asked builders and their subcontractors to submit their prior work plans and personnel management related to the reactor construction, specifically the means and the cost of compensating lost wages and managing the sites.

"This is for reviewing the appropriate compensation for the workers and financially weak companies who could suffer from construction stoppage and for subcontractors whose work in the reactor construction were all counted as part of their sales," the KNHP official said.

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