Exposed to Radiation
Display boards showing information such as the radiation levels in the vicinity of a nuclear power station have been found to be poorly repaired or maintained at nuclear power plants in Korea.
The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation installed the equipment in June 2012 at a cost of 5 billion won (US$4.5 million). The two-year warranty provided by the installer was terminated this summer, but the corporation has yet to select a new maintenance service provider.
“The boards around the Kori Power Plant in Busan and the Ulju Power Plant in Ulsan have not been working properly for months,” said a local daily newspaper in Busan City, adding, “Besides, the boards showed ‘In Operation’ for about 10 days, even after the shutdown of Kori Power Plant Unit 2 for the heavy rainfall in August.”
According to industry insiders, the repair and maintenance takes approximately 500 million won (US$449,135). At present, service provider candidates are asking for a package deal, but the corporation prefers case-by-case payment of repair costs.
Cancer from Atomic Power Generation
In the meantime, the Busan Eastern District Court recently told the corporation to pay compensation of 15 million won (US$13,466) to a woman who had filed a lawsuit in July 2012 against the government agency in charge of the management of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant.
“Thyroid cancer tends to be found more frequently in the vicinity of an atomic power station, and causal relations between the thyroid and radiation exposure have already been proven by treatises. Thus the defendant is to be held accountable,” the judge commented.
She had filed the suit claiming that her husband’s rectal cancer and her son’s developmental disability were caused by radiation. Her family lives within 5 kilometers from the Kori Power Plant. After the court ruling on Oct. 17, about 100 residents in the region prepared to raise a similar lawsuit against the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation.