S. Korea watchdog finds cracks in nuclear reactor
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos
Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant reactor #5 is seen in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla province, south of Seoul, November 5, 2012. South Korea said on Friday minor cracks were found at a nuclear reactor that have not caused a leak but still mean the facility will be kept offline, prompting fears of power shortages in the coming winter. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea said on Friday minor cracks were found at a nuclear reactor that have not caused a leak but still mean the facility will be kept offline, prompting fears of power shortages in the coming winter.
The cracks were found during maintenance work on control rod tubes at a unit in the Yeonggwang nuclear complex, where two other reactors were recently shut down for several months to replace unvetted components.
Half of Yeonggwang's six reactors will now be offline until January at the earliest, the country's nuclear watchdog said, raising concerns of a pinch in power supply during the harsh winter months.
South Korea's 23 nuclear reactors generate around 35 per cent of the country's electricity.
