Busan: South Korea on Thursday decommissioned the country's first nuclear reactor, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said. The decommissioning marks the end of an era for Unit 1 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located in the southeastern city of Busan. This reactor was permanently shut down in June 2017 after operating for approximately 40 years since its inception in April 1978.

According to Anadolu Agency, the NSSC indicated that the complete dismantling of the commercial reactor is expected to take 12 years. This lengthy timeline is attributed to the challenges associated with constructing spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. In May of last year, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co initiated chemical decontamination procedures to eliminate radioactive materials from the reactor.

South Korea currently operates 26 nuclear reactors, with 20 of them actively generating 20,854 megawatts of electricity. The remaining reactors are either undergoing regulatory maintenance or, in one case, have been suspended after decades of service.