Majority of South Koreans support building 2 new nuclear reactors: survey

[SEOUL] A South Korean government-organised committee is recommending Seoul resume the stalled construction of two new nuclear reactors after an opinion survey it set up found nearly 60 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of the move.

The two reactor projects were temporarily halted late in June after the government said it would let South Koreans decide and reflect their opinions in energy policy direction amid concerns over atomic safety.

"Our final public opinion survey showed 59.5 per cent of South Koreans chose to resume the construction," Kim Ji Hyung, chairman of the committee, told a news conference on Friday,"while 40.5 per cent answered to halt the plan." "Our recommendation to the government is restarting construction," Mr Kim said.

Shares of Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) jumped 5.6 per cent following the announcement, while KEPCO Engineering & Construction and KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering surged as much as 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

REUTERS