SOUTH Korean city Samcheok has rejected plans to build a nuclear power station in an unofficial referendum.

Around 85 per cent of the of the 28,867 residents who cast ballots said No, according to the volunteers who administered the referendum that the government has rejected as having no legal weight.

Turnout was 68 per cent of the 42,488 who registered — from the 61,000 on the regular electoral role. Supporters of the nuclear plant called for a boycott of the vote.

Samcheok’s previous administration applied to host the power station, but opinion has swung against nuclear energy following the Fukushima disaster in nearby Japan.

The east coast city elected Mayor Kim Yang Ho last year, who wants to scrap the plans.

“I will persuade the national government based on this result,” he said after the vote. “I hope the government’s policy will reflect Samcheok citizens’ real opinion.”

South Korea relies on its 23 nuclear reactors for about one-quarter of its power, heavily relying on imports for its oil and gas needs.

Plans call for increasing that to 29 per cent by 2035, which would require adding 7 gigawatts of generating capacity, or the equivalent of five 1.4GW reactors.

But confidence in nuclear energy was further eroded last year over revelations that hundreds of faulty components may have been used in reactors.

The Energy Ministry emphasised that the vote had “no legal effect,” adding: “However, given the vote was conducted because of concerns about the nuclear safety, we will carry out a ‘safety first’ nuclear policy.”