South Korea Advances Kori-1 Decommissioning as Kori-2 Restart Could Come Soon
Security-tight access marked the 18th site visit to the Kori Nuclear Power Complex in Busan’s Gijang by reporters and Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) officials. The tour focused on Kori units 1 and 2, highlighting Korea’s shifting nuclear lifecycle from construction and operation to dismantling and decommissioning, as the country weighs the security and economic implications of its aging fleet.
Kori Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1978 and was permanently shut down in June 2017 after a prior extension. In 2023, Korea approved a final decommissioning plan for the unit, and demolition work is set to begin in the coming months. The project aims to complete site restoration by 2037, spanning about 12 years and exceeding 1 trillion won in total costs.
The dismantling scope for Kori 1 includes removing traditional non-radiological structures first, transferring spent nuclear fuel to a underwater storage facility, and eliminating radiation-contaminated equipment. The plan also calls for removing a large amount of piping and other components, with the ultimate goal of restoring the site to its natural state.
Industry officials say the Kori 1 decommissioning marks a major milestone for Korea’s “full-cycle” nuclear industry—encompassing construction, operation, and decommissioning. They expect the project to spur a domestic market for decommissioning, potentially reaching into the 20 trillion won range if all domestic reactors are retired. KHNP has signaled that the work could help build a domestic capability to export decommissioning technology and services abroad.
Meanwhile, Kori Unit 2—another aging 650-megawatt reactor—may resume operation soon. The unit is the first in which the Accident Management Plan (AMP) will be applied in practice since the plan was introduced in 2016 to strengthen responses to extreme or multiple-failure events. On site, a fleet of mobile pumps and mobile power generators remains ready to support cooling, along with a newly replaced set of 226 components, including cooling and electrical systems. The plant’s licensing history is atypical: its operating license expired in 2023, delaying restart despite a prior 10-year extension; the project’s current status hinges on regulatory approvals and readiness checks.
KHNP officials said preparation should be completed by the 25th, with a restart possible as soon as the end of the month or early April if a criticality review proceeds on schedule. NSSC Chair Choi Won-ho stressed that while geopolitical tensions demand swift action in some areas, safety inspections and testing must not be rushed in the push to bring a reactor back online.
The Kori site sits on a vast, security-heavy campus that hosts multiple reactors. The ongoing moves at Kori 1 and the potential restart of Kori 2 come amid broader questions about Korea’s decommissioning capacity and its role in a global market expected to expand as aging reactors worldwide are retired. The International Atomic Energy Agency projects that up to 588 reactors could be permanently shut down globally by 2050, with a market exceeding 500 trillion won; officials say Korea’s decommissioning technology is about 90 percent domestically developed, and they aim to place the country among the world’s top five in decommissioning capabilities.
For U.S. readers, the developments matter for energy security, supply chains, and technology collaboration. As the United States contemplates new nuclear deployments and the eventual retirement of older reactors, Korea’s experience in decommissioning, containment, and site restoration could inform international standards, regulatory cooperation, and potential cross-border contracts for decommissioning services and equipment.