https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/19/new-south-korean-president-vows-to-end-use-of-nuclear-power
[links in on-line article]
New South Korean president vows to end use of nuclear power
Moon Jae-in said he would lead country towards a ‘nuclear-free era’
following fears of a Fukushima-style meltdown
South Korea’s new president, Moon Jae-in, has vowed to phase out the
country’s dependence on nuclear power, warning of “unimaginable
consequences” from a Fukushima-style meltdown.
Moon, a left-leaning liberal who won last month’s presidential election
by a landslide following the impeachment and arrest of Park Geun-hye,
said he would increase the role of renewable energy and lead South Korea
towards a “nuclear-free era”.
Speaking at an event to mark the closure of the country’s oldest nuclear
plant, Kori-1, he said: “So far, South Korea’s energy policy pursued
cheap prices and efficiency. “Cheap production prices were considered
the priority while the public’s life and safety took a back seat. But
it’s time for a change.
“We will abolish our nuclear-centred energy policy and move towards a
nuclear-free era. We will completely scrap construction plans for new
nuclear reactors that are currently under way.”
Moon added that he would not extend the operation of ageing reactors,
many of which will come to the end of their lifespans between 2020 and 2030.
Weaning South Korea off nuclear power, however, could take decades, and
there is expected to be opposition from construction companies, which
have increased technology exports under Moon’s nuclear-friendly
predecessors.
The country was the fifth-largest producer of nuclear energy last year,
according to the World Nuclear Association, with its 25 reactors
generating about a third of its electricity.
The former president Lee Myung-bak saw nuclear as an important source of
clean energy, while Park wanted to increase the number of reactors to 36
by 2029.
Moon recognised the role of nuclear power in South Korea’s rapid
economic development, but added that Japan’s Fukushima disaster – which
prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people – had convinced
him that his country must look to new sources of energy.
“The country’s economic status has changed, our awareness on the
importance of the environment has changed. The notion that the safety
and lives of people are more important than anything else has become a
firm social consensus,” he said.
Anti-nuclear campaigners have long warned of the potentially disastrous
consequences of a meltdown at a nuclear plant in South Korea, where many
reactors are close to densely populated areas.
The public’s support for nuclear power has weakened since the 2011
Fukushima meltdown and a 2013 corruption scandal over fake safety
certificates for reactor parts.
“The Fukushima nuclear accident has clearly proved that nuclear reactors
are neither safe, economical nor environmentally friendly,” Yonhap news
agency quoted Moon as saying.
“South Korea is not safe from the risk of earthquakes, and a nuclear
accident caused by a quake can have such a devastating impact.”
He also plans to close at least 10 ageing coal-fired power plants before
his term ends in 2022 and to boost renewables’ share of the energy mix
to 20% by 2030.