South Korea shuts down nuclear reactors on component worries

South Korea's government has been forced to shut down two nuclear reactors after discovering that spare parts used in the plants had forged quality certificates.

The two reactors - operated by Korean Hydro & Nuclear Power Co - will likely be closed until the end of the year, according to local news reports.

South Korea is facing power shortages as a result of the closedown of the reactors, which are located in Yeonggwang in the southwest of the country, particularly with the colder winter months approaching.

A government investigation found that almost 8,000 parts it acquired between 2003 and 2012 with an estimated value of around $750,000 had fake documentation.

The components under scrutiny include items such as fuses, cooling fans and other parts that are used in the general maintenance and upkeep of the reactors, and were sourced from eight suppliers.

All the vendor companies provided falsified documentation indicating the parts had been vetted by international standards organisations.

Last month South Korea temporarily closed down two reactors after system malfunctions, while a third was shut down in July for similar reasons.

South Korea operates 23 nuclear power reactors, which account for around a third of the country's power needs, and has plans to construct 16 more between now and 2030. The two closed reactors provide around 5 per cent of national energy requirements.