Former Industry and Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu has defended the closure of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor as a decision that put public safety as top priority.

Attending an arrest warrant hearing at Daejeon District Court on Monday, the former minister said that reactor-related affairs were conducted in accordance with law-based principles.

Prosecutors filed a warrant request for Paik on charges of power abuse and obstruction of business as part of a probe into the controversial closure of the nation's second-oldest nuclear reactor in late 2019.

Last year, a state audit had found the reactor's economic viability was unreasonably undervalued to support the early shutdown. A court decision on the warrant may come as early as late Monday afternoon.

Paik is known to be denying most of the charges.