Deadly gas leak closes two SK nuclear reactors

South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to shut down two nuclear reactors under construction after a toxic gas leak led to the death of three workers, Yonhap reports.

Three Dead at Nuclear Power Plant Construction Site in South Korea

The ministry stated it would launch a probe into the incident, which took place in the city of Ulsan, located approximately 400 kilometers (248 miles) southeast of Seoul.

"We will promptly conduct an investigation and hold accountable those who are responsible (in the incident) if any irregularities are discovered," Yoo Han-bong, who leads the labor ministry's Ulsan branch, said, as quoted by Yonhap.

On December 25, three workers lost consciousness and later died after apparently inhaling toxic gas said to be nitrogen, Yonhap reported, citing Bae Kyong-min, an official at the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO). The workers were only identified by their last names as Hong, Son and Kim, the Korean Times reports. Hong worked for the Hyundai Engineering & Construction subcontracting firm, while a KHNP subcontractor employed Son and Kim.

The incident took place days after hackers launched cyber-attacks on KEPCO, the state-controlled company operating nuclear power plants in the country. Hackers have claimed they can disable the control systems of South Korean power plants.

Last week, hackers leaked documents, including blueprints of nuclear power plants and personal data of KEPCO employees. The information was published on a South Korean blog, which has since been shut down, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Friday’s incident was not related to cyber terrorism, said Choi Hee-ye, a spokeswoman for KHNPC, according to the Associated Press.

The New Gori No. 3 reactor was undergoing a trial run. It is scheduled to be put into service in 2015. The New Gori No. 4 reactor, expected to come into operation in 2016, is still under construction, according to Yonhap.

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