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South Korea indicts 100 over scandal

Iran Press TV

Fri Oct 11, 2013 6:6AM GMT

South Korea has officially charged 100 people with corruption in a scandal over fake safety certifications for parts in the country's nuclear reactors.

A series of shutdowns of nuclear reactors has taken place in South Korea due to fake documents.

Asia's fourth largest economy has 23 nuclear reactors, including three that are not currently in use.

The South Korean government said after wrapping up an almost five-month investigation that around 280 documents were found to have been faked over the past decade at 20 of the nuclear reactors.

"We hope the so-called nuclear mafia style behavior would be rooted out if strict investigations and law enforcement and system reforms continue," said Kim Dong-yeon, a senior government policy coordinator.

The scandal first emerged in November 2012, when two reactors were halted following the discovery of faked safety certificates for certain parts, including fuses and power switches.

In May 2013, it was discovered that two other reactors had been operating with bogus certificates for control cables, which are part of a reactor's safety system.

The discovery made the South Korean government launch a probe into the issue.

"We have completed thorough probes into the corruption cases and have taken necessary action to prevent the recurrence," Kim added.

"The government will also strengthen supervision of reactor construction businesses."

A vice president at Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) and a former chief executive at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co, who face bribery charges, are among those who were indicted.

Seoul said it substituted defective components employed in the 20 nuclear reactors that are presently in operation.

Authorities said findings of the investigation indicate that faulty parts have caused South Korea's reactors to shut down suddenly almost 130 times over the past decade.

Nuclear plants produce about a third of electricity in South Korea, which lacks homegrown natural energy resources. The country is planning to construct another 16 nuclear reactors by 2030.

MR/HSN