SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office on Friday defended the appointment of a new senior secretary for economic affairs, saying there are no grounds for disqualification because he was not indicted in an investigation over a decision to close a decades-old nuclear power plant.

President Moon Jae-in appointed Park Won-joo, a career economic bureaucrat who served in various capacities at the energy ministry, as a senior secretary in charge of economic affairs on Thursday.

A day after the appointment, local daily Munwha Ilbo reported that Park is still under investigation by prosecutors in connection with the allegations surrounding the nuclear power plant.

In October last year, the main opposition People Power Party pressed criminal charges against 12 officials, including and then-energy minister Paik Un-gyu and Park, over the controversial early closure of Wolsong-1, the nation's second-oldest nuclear reactor, and the alleged obstruction of the state audit into the case.

Paik was indicted on charges of abuse of power and interference with business in the process of the government's decision to close the reactor.

"At that time, the prosecution indicted former minister Paik, but senior secretary Park was not indicted," a presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are no grounds to disqualify Park.

The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. decided to close the reactor in late 2019 based on an assessment but a state audit agency said the following year the reactor's economic viability was unreasonably undervalued.

Source: Yohnap News Agency