The nation has suspended the Kori-2 nuclear reactor after its 40-year operating permit ran out at 10 p.m. on Saturday.

The reactor could have continued to operate until it expired if the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) had started the necessary procedures around 2020 but failed to do so due to the nuclear phase-out policy of the previous Moon Jae-in administration.

The procedures for continuing its operations, including safety inspections and improvements, require around three to four years to complete. Even if the process is expedited, the reactor is expected to be suspended for at least two years and two months.

On March 30, the KHNP submitted an application to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission for a permit to operate the reactor with the goal of starting up again in June 2025.

The No. 2 reactor at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located in Busan, started its commercial operations as the country's third nuclear reactor 40 years ago on April 9, 1983.