ULJIN, South Korea--South Korea has begun construction of two reactors in a nuclear plant facing the Sea of Japan.
ULJIN, South Korea--South Korea has begun construction of two reactors in a nuclear plant facing the Sea of Japan.It is the first nuclear project undertaken by South Korea since the nuclear disaster in Japan last year.President Lee Myung-bak emphasized the need for nuclear power in resource-poor South Korea during the groundbreaking ceremony at the Ulchin nuclear plant in Uljin on May 4.“Building a nuclear power plant is not a choice, but a necessity to South Korea, which has no single oil reserve,” the presidential office quoted Lee as saying at the event.Lee also said, “We will make sure the new reactors are capable of withstanding all sorts of disasters, including earthquakes and tsunami.But some citizens groups voiced their objection to the project.Lee Heon-seok, who leads the environmental private group called Energy Justice Actions in Seoul said, “The Lee administration’s policy to promote nuclear power is regrettable.”The project to build pressurized water reactors in the plant, already hosting six reactors, will cost about 6.3 trillion won (450 billion yen, or $5.63 billion).Construction is expected to be completed in 2017 and 2018.The South Korean government plans to raise the number of its reactors to 38 by 2030 from the current 21.