Overview
- The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission concluded Kori-2 meets safety standards and authorized operation through April 8, 2033.
- Because the extension is counted from the April 2023 design-life expiry, the effective remaining operating period is under eight years.
- KHNP will replace equipment to secure safety margins, with an on-site inspection required before restart, and it projects roughly three months of preparations.
- The vote was 5–1 with six of nine commissioners participating, and environmental activists briefly disrupted the meeting before being removed.
- Officials and experts link the move to near-term power needs for AI data centers, noting Kori-2’s 685 MW capacity could cover the 500–600 MW estimated for 260,000 GPUs.