On January 12, the South Korean Nuclear Safety Commission reported a nuclear waste liquid leak at the No. 2 unit of the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The incident occurred while the unit was operating normally, and the nuclear waste liquid in the storage tank was discharged into the sea without undergoing sample analysis procedures. The initial estimate of the leakage is approximately 29 tons.
According to the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company's report, the incident occurred at 10:23 AM local time on the 12th. Upon detecting the anomaly, staff immediately took action to close the valve and cut off the leak source. Subsequent analysis of the residual samples in the storage tank showed that the level of radioactive substances in the discharged nuclear waste liquid was "at normal discharge levels."
To ensure safety, the South Korean Nuclear Safety Commission has dispatched an expert team to the site to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the specific leakage amount, cause of the leak, and possible environmental impact. Meanwhile, relevant departments are collecting seawater samples from the surrounding sea area of the nuclear power plant to further confirm the spread of radioactive substances and potential threats to the ecosystem. The survey results will be announced subsequently.
Although preliminary data shows that the radioactive substance content in the nuclear waste liquid meets normal discharge standards, such incidents have raised widespread public concern about the safety management of nuclear power plants and marine environmental protection. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company stated that it will fully cooperate with the investigation and enhance the safety management of nuclear waste liquid treatment procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This incident highlights the potential risks in the operation of nuclear power plants and has sparked public discussion on the safety of nuclear energy utilization. Relevant experts have expressed that even low-radioactive nuclear waste liquid discharged into the sea may have long-term impacts on the surrounding environment, necessitating a high level of attention to subsequent assessment results and the implementation of preventive measures.
