S.Korea's nuclear reactor operator to shut oldest unit permanently

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's nuclear operator said on Tuesday it had decided to permanently shutter its oldest nuclear reactor, the nearly 40-year-old Kori No. 1 unit, in line with a recommendation by a government-led advisory panel. Such a shutdown would be the first permanent closure of a plant in South Korea since the country launched its nuclear industry nearly four decades ago. A spokesman for Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd said the company had decided not to seek a second extension for the plant on the country's southeastern tip, after its operating permit expires in June 2017. Last Friday, the advisory panel recommended the closure of the 587-MW reactor, which contributes around 0.5 percent of South Korea's total power generating capacity. The operator, which is part of state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), had been widely expected to accept the panel's suggestion. Public trust in nuclear energy in the world's fifth-biggest user of nuclear power has been undermined by a 2012 scandal over the supply of reactor parts with fake security certificates and the 2011 Fukushima crisis in Japan. But Seoul still plans to open more reactors, taking the total to 36 by 2029 from 23 at present, which account for about a third of the country's electricity needs. The panel recommendation was also aimed at helping to build South Korea's skills in decommissioning the technology, which lag developed countries, according to experts. (Reporting by Meeyoung Cho; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)