South Korea announced Monday that it will construct two new nuclear reactors by 2038 amid growing demand for clean energy.
Speaking at a news conference in Seoul, Climate Minister Kim Sung-whan said the government will conduct necessary procedures to complete building two large-scale nuclear reactors between 2037-2038 as planned under the 11th basic plan devised by the previous government.
He said to cut carbon emissions in the energy sector, it is necessary to reduce power generation through coal and liquefied natural gas.
"Therefore, we need power system operations centered on renewable energy and nuclear power," he added.
Last week, two public opinion polls commissioned by the government showed that an average of 80 percent of respondents said nuclear power is needed, with 60 percent supporting the additional construction plan.
State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) will soon begin a bidding process to select the host cities or towns for the two reactors by 2027.
KHNP aims to receive the nuclear safety watchdog's approval for the plan by 2031 to complete the construction between 2037-2038, according to the ministry.
