ID :
175048
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 07:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/175048
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea's military conducts nuclear emergency drill
SEOUL, April 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military staged Wednesday a comprehensive nuclear emergency drill with anti-terror police and government officials amid the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan, military officials said.
Army Gen. Han Min-koo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), inspected the drill at the Gori nuclear power plant in the southeastern port city of Busan, with hundreds of soldiers from the military's chemical, biological and radiological units as well as police officers and firefighters taking part, the JCS said in a statement.
"If emergencies of any kind take place at nuclear plants, the nation will face a very dangerous situation," Han said in the statement. "By holding regular and intensive drills, we must build the perfect disaster preparedness."
The nuclear crisis in Japan, spawned by the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami, has prompted South Korea to run safety checks on its own nuclear power plants.
On Tuesday, Japan raised the severity level of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to the maximum level seven, putting the crisis on par with the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
The one-day drill at the Gori plant, which has two nuclear reactors, tested the coordinated ability of the military, police, government and private sector to cope with a nuclear accident following a natural disaster, the JCS said.
In particular, the drill also included a contingency plan in case North Korea carries out a provocative act against a nuclear plant in South Korea, a JCS official said.
Inter-Korean tensions remain high following the North's two deadly military attacks last year -- the sinking of the Cheonan warship and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island -- that killed a total of 50 South Koreans.
Currently, South Korea runs 21 nuclear reactors at four power plants in its southern coastal areas, generating some 32 percent of the nation's electricity needs.
kdh@yna.co.kr
Army Gen. Han Min-koo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), inspected the drill at the Gori nuclear power plant in the southeastern port city of Busan, with hundreds of soldiers from the military's chemical, biological and radiological units as well as police officers and firefighters taking part, the JCS said in a statement.
"If emergencies of any kind take place at nuclear plants, the nation will face a very dangerous situation," Han said in the statement. "By holding regular and intensive drills, we must build the perfect disaster preparedness."
The nuclear crisis in Japan, spawned by the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami, has prompted South Korea to run safety checks on its own nuclear power plants.
On Tuesday, Japan raised the severity level of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to the maximum level seven, putting the crisis on par with the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
The one-day drill at the Gori plant, which has two nuclear reactors, tested the coordinated ability of the military, police, government and private sector to cope with a nuclear accident following a natural disaster, the JCS said.
In particular, the drill also included a contingency plan in case North Korea carries out a provocative act against a nuclear plant in South Korea, a JCS official said.
Inter-Korean tensions remain high following the North's two deadly military attacks last year -- the sinking of the Cheonan warship and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island -- that killed a total of 50 South Koreans.
Currently, South Korea runs 21 nuclear reactors at four power plants in its southern coastal areas, generating some 32 percent of the nation's electricity needs.
kdh@yna.co.kr
