

By Lee Kyung-min

The government's decision to have a special committee decide the fate of two Shin Kori reactors currently under construction in Busan is drawing criticism from scholars.

The government said Tuesday that the committee will determine whether to permanently shut down the two units — Shin Kori 5 and Shin Kori 6 — after a three-month assessment.

The move is part of President Moon Jae-in's push to reduce nuclear energy dependence, following the permanent shutdown of the Kori 1 in Busan, the oldest nuclear reactor in Korea.

President Moon has pledged to close down all nuclear plants in the country over the next 40 years.

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Moon said the government would suspend construction of the two nuclear reactors until a recommendation was put forward by the committee.

The 10-member committee will decide whether to recommend permanently halting or resuming construction of the reactors.

The construction of the two reactors is almost 28 percent complete.

However, many scholars are protesting the Moon administration's push for the phased closures of nuclear reactors, as they claim Korea needs nuclear energy in order to maintain its low electricity costs.

They said the government is trying to overthrow the project to build reactors which had been decided upon by due legal process and experts.

The scholars said nuclear energy does not generate fine dust or greenhouse gases, a major health threat to people amid global warming.

Seoul National University professor Joo Han-gyu said the government's blind push is perpetuating a distorted view about nuclear energy.

"Forming a committee is only an empty attempt by the government to legitimize its agenda," he said.

The leading professor in the field said his colleagues and experts may launch a collective action to protest a unilateral push that disregards reality.

A group of 230 experts issued a statement June 1, urging the government to reconsider the plan to scrap the planned construction of nuclear reactors.

The government has acknowledged that the cost of halting construction will be 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 billion), including money already spent (1.6 trillion won), compensation and the financial impact on the regional economy.

However, it decided to push ahead with the move for safety reasons as an earthquake, or mismanagement could prove catastrophic.

According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, it is following the government's directive on the plan.

Environmental civic groups and the local government welcomed the move.

"We consider the suspension to have historical significance. We will keep pushing for the complete and full shutdown of all nuclear reactors," one resident in Busan said.

The country has 24 nuclear reactors in operation, which generate about a third of the nation's electricity.