South Korea approves operation of Saeul-3 nuclear reactor

South Korea on Tuesday greenlighted the operation of the Saeul-3 nuclear reactor, with its commercial launch scheduled for 2026.

The domestically built APR1400 reactor, located at the Saeul Nuclear Power Site in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, began construction in 2016, according to the Seoul-based news agency Yonhap.

The unit will undergo a pilot run over the next six months.

"In accordance with legal procedures and on scientific and technological grounds, we have thoroughly inspected the safety of the Saeul-3," Choi Won-ho, chairperson of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, said in a statement.

"We plan to continue strictly checking safety through pre-use inspections during nuclear fuel loading and the test-run process," Choi added.

The approval came about two weeks after the commission postponed its final decision at an initial meeting.

Saeul-3 is South Korea's first nuclear reactor designed to withstand aircraft attacks.

It can store spent nuclear fuel for up to 60 years, enough to hold all fuel produced during its operating lifetime.