S. Korea shuts down two nuke reactors over unapproved partsNovember 5, 2012 - 15:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - South Korea has shut down two nuclear reactors after it was revealed that some parts used had not been properly vetted, an official says, according to BBC News. Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-woo said these were "non-core" parts and were not a safety threat. They included fuses, cooling fans and power switches that did not have the required nuclear industry certificates. “The shutdown means there could be "unprecedented" power shortages in the next few months,” Hong said. “The more than 5,000 parts could be used in other industries but needed international certification for nuclear power plant usage,” Almost all the parts were used at the Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant, in the south-west, where the two reactors were shut down. "Comprehensive safety check-ups are necessary at these two reactors where the uncertified parts were used extensively," the minister said. "It's inevitable that we will experience unprecedented power shortage during the coming winter with the two reactors shut." He said the parts, worth 820m won ($750,000), had been sourced from eight suppliers since 2003. South Korea's 23 nuclear reactors, which supply 35% of the country's electricity, have experienced a series of malfunctions over the past few months. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Macron honors Charles Aznavour on 100th anniversary French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour. Blinken says U.S. reviewing a number of aid requests from Armenia He said the U.S. is reviewing the requests to determine what more it can do to increase its assistance to Armenia. Armenia PM meets Iran’s Supreme Leader in Tehran Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei Ruling MP accuses opposition of “serving other countries' interests” Khachatur Sukiasyan has accused Armenia’s opposition of serving the interests of other countries |