SEOUL, June 18 (Kyodo) — One of the new nuclear reactors under trial operation in Gyeongju city in southeastern South Korea shut down on Sunday due to a technical glitch, a week after resuming a test run following a stoppage due to flaws in coolant pumps in March, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.
The Shin Wolsong 1 reactor went offline on Sunday morning after its turbine generator was automatically stopped.
It did not cause any leaks of radioactive materials or other serious accidents, but raised the possibility of delaying the timing of starting its regular operation, originally set for July.
With a capacity of 1 million kilowatts, the Shin Wolsong 1 is a pressurized heavy water reactor based on Canadian technology.
South Korea relies on 21 nuclear reactors for nearly half of its electricity needs.
