S Korea halts two more reactors over faulty parts

South Korea yesterday shut down two nuclear reactors and delayed the scheduled start of operations at two more, prompting government warnings of "unprecedented" power shortages.
The latest move, part of a widening investigation into a scandal involving parts provided with fake safety certificates, means 10 of the South's 23 nuclear reactors are currently offline for various reasons.
"Power shortages on an unprecedented scale are feared this summer," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement, adding that replacing suspect parts could take up to four months.
Blackout alerts, triggered automatically when power reserves dip below a certain level, were highly likely and power shortages could be "very serious" in August, the statement said.
The ministry said it would "strongly" enforce measures to reduce energy consumption, including rescheduling working hours to stagger demand and limit damaging peaks.
President Park Geun-Hye expressed "great concern" about the prospect of power shortages and ordered a full, transparent probe into the case.
"Nuclear power (safety) is a very important issue linked directly with the safety of our people," she told a cabinet meeting.
At proper capacity, South Korea's nuclear reactors supply more than 35 percent of national electricity needs.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said it had shut down two reactors -- one at the Gori nuclear complex and another at the Wolseong plant -- after learning that both had used parts supplied with forged warranties.