S.Korea panel to recommend to shut country's oldest nuclear reactor - minister

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's energy advisory panel decided to recommend that the country's oldest nuclear reactor, Kori No.1, be permanently close, Yoon Sang-jick, minister of trade, industry and energy, told reporters on Friday. Given this recommendation, nuclear operator Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd is not expected to submit an application to extend the lifespan of the 587-Megawatt (MW) reactor later this month. The nuclear operator is owned by state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. The reactor's operation permit, which has already been extended once by 10 years to 40 years, expires in June 2017, and the application deadline to extend is June 18 this year. (Reporting by Meeyoung Cho; Editing by Ed Davies and Tom Hogue)