Nuclear Safety Commission Again Delays Approval of Accident Management Plans for Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2

Second Approval Postponed After September 11... To Be Resubmitted
Some Members Raise Issues Over Plan Drafting Standards

Gori Nuclear Power Plant view. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

The approval of the Accident Management Plan for Units 3 and 4 at the Gori Nuclear Power Plant in Gijang-gun, Busan, and Units 1 and 2 at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, has been postponed again. This is the second postponement, following the initial delay on September 11. As the approval of the Accident Management Plan continues to be delayed, there are expectations that the relicensing procedures for continued operation of Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2 may also face difficulties.

On September 30, at its 2026-15th meeting, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission continued its review of the “Approval of Accident Management Plan and License for Operational Modification for Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2,” as requested by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, but decided to continue deliberations without reaching a conclusion.

Previously, at the meeting held on September 11, the same agenda was reviewed, but no decision was reached. The Commission failed to reach a conclusion again this time. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has agreed to revisit this matter as an agenda item at a future meeting.

An expert subcommittee concluded that the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) had thoroughly reviewed compliance with relevant standards, and that appropriate responses had been given to the questions raised during the review process, deeming the review results to be valid. However, on this day, some members of the Commission raised issues regarding the standards for drafting the Accident Management Plan, leading to prolonged deliberations. When prolonged discussion failed to produce a consensus, a vote was attempted, but several members objected. Ultimately, it was decided to resubmit the agenda item for further review.

The Accident Management Plan is a document detailing the scope of accident management at nuclear power plants, associated management equipment, management strategies, and training plans. The Accident Management Plans for Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2, which are currently under review, were submitted following safety reviews by KINS and underwent six rounds of preliminary review by the Nuclear Safety Expert Committee over approximately nine months before being brought to the Commission.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power submitted the Accident Management Plans for 28 nuclear reactors—including Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2—in June 2019, in accordance with the amended Nuclear Safety Act of June 2015.

The license for operational modification includes plans to install multi-layered defense accident response equipment, such as creating new external injection pathways in the reactor coolant system and the containment spray system to apply the accident management plan on-site.

While the Accident Management Plan is a separate legal procedure from the continued operation license, because it outlines how the operator will respond in the event of a nuclear accident, it essentially serves as a preliminary safety review for continued operation licensing. In this way, it acts as a gateway to initiating the relicensing process.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is also currently reviewing the continued operation licenses for Gori Units 3 and 4 and Hanbit Units 1 and 2.

Gori Units 3 and 4 began commercial operation in September 1985 and April 1986, respectively, and reached the end of their design lifespans in September 2024 and August 2025, respectively. Hanbit Units 1 and 2 started commercial operation in August 1986 and June 1987, respectively, and ceased operation after their design lifespans ended in December last year and September this year, respectively.

During its work briefing in August, the Commission set the goal of deciding on the continued operation licenses for Gori Units 3 and 4 within the second half of this year, and for Hanbit Units 1 and 2 within the first half of next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.