Cheong Wa Dae says nuclear phaseout policy remains in place

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday there has been no change to the government's nuclear phaseout policy, responding to confusion over the Hungarian president's remarks following his meeting with President Moon Jae-in. Hungarian President Janos Ader held a summit with Moon in Budapest on Wednesday and told reporters afterward the two countries shared the view that achieving carbon neutrality is impossible without the use of nuclear energy. The statement raised questions about whether the Moon administration has changed its policy on scaling back nuclear power. "Our nuclear phaseout policy is that we will reduce the share of nuclear power over the very long term until 2080 and instead raise the share of new renewable energy and hydrogen energy in order to achieve carbon neutrality," Park Soo-hyun, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication, told KBS radio. "Our basic policy will continue without wavering," he said, adding the discussions during the summit were in line with that policy. hague@yna.co.kr (END)