[Newsmaker] Court mulls arrest warrants for 3 Industry Ministry officials over closure of Wolsong
The Daejeon District Court on Friday afternoon started an arrest warrant hearing for the three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This followed a request from the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday.
The officials are under investigation for possibly destroying 444 files and other materials related to the government’s decision to terminate the operation of the nuclear reactor, just before receiving an order to submit them from the Board of Audit and Inspection late last year.
Of the deleted files, 324 were recovered through digital forensic efforts, but 120 could not be recovered.
Wolsong-1, the second-oldest nuclear reactor in South Korea, was retired from operation in December last year in what was billed as a milestone in President Moon Jae-in’s anti-nuclear initiative.
But debate continued about Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power’s decision to shut down the reactor earlier than scheduled, with nuclear proponents suspecting a political push may have hampered a fair, comprehensive review.
The debate triggered a comprehensive review from the Board of Audit and Inspection that lasted until October.
KHNP cited deteriorating economic viability as its reason for the early closure at a board meeting in June 2018, a reversal from its earlier estimate that Wolsong-1 could provide additional economic benefits worth nearly 4 trillion won ($3.7 billion) if it continued running.
A prosecutorial investigation followed after BAI chief Choe Jae-hyeong told lawmakers that some public officials had “severely resisted” the audit and had caused delays by destroying evidence and giving false testimony.
The disruptions caused the BAI to submit its final report nearly eight months later than the original deadline of Feb. 29.
The prosecution is expected to broaden the scope of its investigation to encompass top government officials who directed anti-nuclear initiatives, including former Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu and Korea Gas Corporation CEO Chae Hee-bong.
Investigators last month raided the Industry Ministry in Sejong, the Korea Gas Corporation in Daegu and KHNP in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, to secure related documents and digital files.
By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)
(责任编辑:行业动态)
相关内容
- Yoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threats
- Rhino experts are not expecting to save threatened species with IVF
- 弘扬奥运精神 助力学生成长
- 9 Places That Might Help You Find a Little Calm
- Klarna CEO reveals plan to reduce workforce by 50% and replace it with AI
- 18 Places for Epic Outdoor Adventure Across Colorado
- 打出自我监督组合拳 深化廉政警示教育
- Sonos is getting into headphones, report claims
- Seoul issues advisory against hiring NK IT workers with disguised nationalities
- Pope says England are not 'one
- 支持产业科技互促双强,广东农信贯彻“新春第一会”精神
- China highway collapse sends cars plunging, leaving at least 24 dead, dozens injured
- S. Korea, US discuss NK cyber threats
推荐文章
-
Police bust crypto scammer who received plastic surgery to evade arrest
Photo of a man in his 40s at the time of his arrest (left) and cash found at at his hideout. (Seoul ...[详细] -
本报讯昨15)日,全市近期涉水重点工作视频会议召开,深入贯彻落实全省水库移民工作电视电话会议和全省小水电分类整改、涉水生态环境问题整改暨水库水电站安全管理工作视频会议精神,安排部署近期涉水重点工作。会 ...[详细]
-
支持产业科技互促双强,广东农信贯彻“新春第一会”精神_南方+_南方plus新春伊始,广东召开全省高质量发展大会,聚焦产业科技话创新、谋未来,加快发展新质生产力,奋力推动高质量发展。广东农信紧紧围绕服务 ...[详细]
-
“随着群众出行的增多,梓潼宫大桥车流量越来越大,桥上没有人行道,行人通过感觉越来越危险!”2021年3月初,省人大代表詹良兵的一条建议引起荥经县人大常委会高度重视。该县人大常委会立即组织相关单位、乡镇 ...[详细]
-
Eng name ODI, T20I squads for Aus series
England is set to take on Australia at home in September in a three-match T20I series, followed by f ...[详细] -
Liz Truss resignation: her fall was wild, but what’s coming will be worse.
The lettuce has won. Last week, when it became clear that the writing was on the wall for Liz Truss— ...[详细] -
S. Korea, US discuss NK cyber threats
South Korea's deputy nuclear envoy Lee Tae-woo, right, and his U.S. counterpart, Jung Pak, pose for ...[详细] -
Google announces date for Pixel 8 reveal event
Google Pixel fans, mark your calendars and start setting aside cash now.On Wednesday, Google sent ou ...[详细] -
Essential Apps to Install on your Windows PC or Mac
You just bought a new laptop, built a new desktop PC, or are simply clean installing on a new solid ...[详细] -
History Tour: Revisiting the Revolutionary War
When the American colonies were founded in the 17th century (and Georgia in the 18th), they were jus ...[详细]
热点阅读
随机内容
Yoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threats
Elon Musk shows off the dummy that's going to Mars in a Tesla
- SCOTUS: The courts implementing Project 2025, without Trump.
- N. Korea, Russia sign cooperation protocol after talks on economy, science: KCNA
- S. Korea, US revise deterrence strategy amid growing NK threats
- The best Black Friday Vitamix deals on blenders and full system, plus more blender deals
- 阳江村K开麦,阳西3人晋级!
- 我市出台促进文化旅游发展激励政策
- Mysterious bowhead whales found singing over 180 different songs