Nuclear power plants unharmed from earthquake: state nuclear power plant operator

By Park Sae-jin Posted : November 30, 2023, 15:05 Updated : December 1, 2023, 05:52
Courtesy of KHNP
[Courtesy of KHNP]
SEOUL -- South Korea's state nuclear power plant operator has said that Wolsong nuclear power plants are all operational without any malfunctions. The announcement was released a few hours after a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit Gyeongju some 290 kilometers (180 miles) southeast of Seoul on November 30.

According to South Korea's state weather service, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 occurred in the southeastern region of Gyeongju City at about 4:55 a.m. (1955 GMT) on November 30. The weather service corrected the information at 5:07 a.m. and said the earthquake's magnitude was 4.0.

By law, related government bodies including the interior ministry have to send out emergency broadcasts whenever an earthquake with a magnitude that is larger than 4.0 as soon as it is detected. The emergency broadcast sounded loud sirens early with a text message including information about the earthquake, waking people up early in the morning.  

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said in a statement that the Woslong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju was not affected by the earthquake and is fully operational. The power plant operator added: "All nuclear power plants across the country are operating safely without any impact from the earthquake."

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission also stated that, as of 7 a.m., there is no abnormality in the safety of all domestic nuclear facilities related to the earthquake.
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