S. Korea approves decommissioning of now-defunct Kori-1 nuclear reactor on Thursday

South Korea on Thursday approved the decommissioning of the country's first nuclear plant, the Kori-1, marking its very first decommissioning of the commercial nuclear reactor.

The plant's operator, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power submitted its decommissioning application in 2021, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission granted approval after reviewing the case for around three years.

The Kori-1 nuclear reactor had been operating for about 40 years, since 1978, and was permanently shut down in 2017.

Related industries have high hopes, as the successful dismantling of the Kori-1 reactor could open up new business opportunities in the global reactor decommissioning market.