[Alpha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Kim Jisun] A massive power outage in Ulsan on the 6th caused major confusion.

KEPCO, which has recently suffered a serious financial crisis, has neglected to invest in management such as substations and transmission networks, raising concerns that similar accidents may occur in the future.

According to KEPCO, a massive power outage occurred at 3:37 p.m. due to a facility abnormality at the Okdong Substation that supplies power to Nam-gu, Ulsan.

KEPCO said it began emergency restoration immediately after the accident and resumed power supply an hour and 45 minutes after the power outage, but it caused great confusion, with some 155,000 households suffering inconveniences and shopping malls, hospitals and some factories suffering from power outages.

The power outage was recorded as the most damaging power outage in six years since the 200,000-household power outage in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in 2017.

However, a series of power outages have been reported recently, raising concerns that KEPCO's management crisis may lead to poor management.

For example, a power outage caused by a "voltage drop" occurred in the southern part of the Seoul metropolitan area, including Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, on the 14th of last month, creating a dizzying situation such as the roller coaster T-Express in Yongin Everland suddenly stopped.

It was investigated that the voltage drop accident was caused by the insulator of the switchgear at the Godeok Substation in Pyeongtaek.

KEPCO understands that the failure of the Okdong Substation facility in Ulsan was also caused by a problem with the switchgear insulation device.

 

[ⓒ AlphaBIZ. 무단전재-재배포 금지]