The Kori-2 nuclear reactor in the southeastern city of Busan will restart operations after some two-and-a-half years.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission voted to approve the extended operation of the reactor located at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant during a meeting on Thursday.

As a result, the reactor will operate until April 2033.

The move comes some three-and-a-half years after the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corporation requested approval to continue operating the reactor, which ceased operations in April 2023 after its license expired.

The Kori-2, South Korea's third nuclear reactor, began commercial operations with a capacity of 685 megawatts on April 9, 1983.

It is the third reactor to extend operations beyond its design lifespan, following the Kori-1 in 2008 and the Wolsong-1 in 2015.