A former presidential secretary and former industry minister have been indicted for allegedly abusing their power and interfering with business in the government’s decision to close a decades-old nuclear reactor. 

The Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office said on Wednesday that it indicted Chae Hee-bong, a former presidential secretary on industrial policies, and former Industry Minister Paik Un-gyu for their alleged roles in the early closure of the Wolsong-1. 

The nation’s second-oldest nuclear reactor was permanently shut down in 2019, three years before its original mandate. The prosecution argued that Chae pressured the operator of the reactor, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power(KHNP), to phase it out early and Paik colluded with him in the process. 

Prosecutors suspect that the economic viability of the nuclear reactor was unreasonably undervalued to enable the early closure, causing damages worth 148-point-one billion won to the company. Former minister Paik has denied most of the charges, defending the reactor's closure as a decision for public safety.

Meanwhile, KHNP chief Chung Jae-hoon was also indicted on charges of dereliction of duty and interference with business.