One reactor in S. Korea breaks down abruptly

A nuclear reactor in South Korea abruptly broke down on Wednesday, boosting fears over power shortage amid a scorching heat wave.

The "Habit 6" reactor with a generating capacity of 1 million kilowatts (kws) stopped operating as of 2:44 p.m., according to Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, the state-run operator of nuclear power plants.

The operator has yet to find reasons for the abrupt stoppage. The broken reactor is located in Younggwang, some 350 kilometers southwest of Seoul, the country's capital.

In total, six reactors have stopped generating electricity until now due to technical glitches among the combined 23 reactors in the country.

Following the abrupt stoppage, the power authorities issued the warning of "attention,"which means the nation's power reserves fell below the safe level of 4 million kilowatts.

On Aug. 11, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) warned of a possible power-shortage crisis that may lead to a rolling power outage as seen in Sept. 15, 2011 amid the nationwide heat wave.

South Korea went through a nationwide rolling blackout over the cited day when lack of power reserves caused the shut-off of electricity supply in turns at major cities to keep power consumption under control.