President Lee Myung-bak visited a state nuclear safety agency Tuesday, stressing the importance of transparent disclosure of safety-related information to gain people's trust in atomic power plants, his office said.
Lee's first visit to the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety in the central city of Daejeon, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, came amid heightened concerns in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis.
The agency briefed Lee on the results of atmospheric radiation checks and safety inspections on South Korea's nuclear power plants, saying it would carry out thorough oversight of power plants so that they will pose no safety risks, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a release.
During lunch with researchers at the agency, Lee stressed the importance of "transparent information disclosure" so as to build people's trust in nuclear power plants, the office said.
Lee also held a video conference call with the chief of South Korea's oldest Gori-1 nuclear reactor, calling for thorough preparations for any safety contingencies. The reactor has resumed operation after suffering an emergency shutdown due to a minor mechanical glitch last month.
Atomic power plants are an important source of energy for South Korea. The country has 21 nuclear reactors and gets about 40 percent of its total electricity needs from the plants.