SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) — A state commission formed to gauge public opinion on the construction of two nuclear power reactors in southern South Korea will conduct its first survey next week, officials said Thursday.
The survey will be conducted on 20,000 people on Aug. 25 by a polling agency to be determined next week, the commission said. The commission is charged with coming up with a recommendation on whether the construction of the Shingori-5 and Shingori-6 reactors in the city of Ulsan should continue or be scrapped.
In an effort to reduce South Korea’s dependence on nuclear energy, the government of President Moon Jae-in proposed scrapping the reactor construction project and established the independent ad-hoc commission to collect public views.
Of the 20,000 respondents to be surveyed, 500 will be selected as a jury on Sept. 12 that will be provided with more information on merits and demerits of the project and participate in a series of debates and hearings.
The jury will also spend three days together in a camp for final debates from Oct. 13-15. Two surveys will be conducted on the jury, with the second one on Oct. 15. Based on the surveys, the commission will unveil its recommendation on Oct. 20.
The proposal to scrap the reactors’ construction sparked heated debates in a country that relies on nuclear reactors for about a third of its electricity. Proponents say the country should phase out nuclear power for safety and environmental reasons, but opponents say it will lead to a shortage in the power supply and a spike in electricity bills.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
