S.Korea halts operations of 2 malfunctioning nuke reactors

South Korea stopped two nuclear reactors at two separate atomic power plants on Tuesday due to technical problems.

The Shingori 1 Reactor in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was shut down at 8:19 a.m. after a warning signal indicated a malfunction in the control rod, which is used to control the rate of fission of nuclear materials.

The incident was soon followed by the shutdown of a second reactor at Younggwang Nuclear Power Plant, located 350 kilometers southwest of Seoul in South Jeolla Province.

The Younggwang 5 Reactor had to be turned off at 10:45 a.m. after its steam generator showed a low water level, said the KHNP.

The incidents prompted the Korean Federation of Environment Movement, a coalition of civic environmental groups, to voice out its concerns.

"Problems in the control rod that is a key safety feature to control nuclear fission could lead to major accidents when coupled with other natural disasters or malfunctions," the coalition said. 

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., the plants' operator, assured that there was no risk of radiation leak at either site.

"Both power plants remain stable and pose no threat of radiation leakage," it said.

The KHNP added that separate investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the malfunctions.

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