DAEJEON -- The prosecution has sought arrest warrants for three government officials suspected of deleting documents related to the controversial closure of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor.

The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office on Wednesday requested that the court grant the warrants against three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, whose names were withheld, on charges of disturbing the state auditors' examination.

They allegedly destroyed 444 materials and files about the government's decision to terminate the operation of Wolsong-1, the country's second-oldest nuclear reactor, right before the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) ordered the submission of the documents late last year.

The move came a day after Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl returned to work after a brief suspension amid a power struggle with Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae.

The closure of Wolsong-1 has remained a hot-button topic in domestic politics since President Moon Jae-in decided in 2017 to decommission the reactor earlier than scheduled in line with his energy policy.

The BAI earlier concluded that the shutdown decision was based on a biased research, which undervalued the reactor's economic viability. (Yonhap)