Voting in a referendum to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant began on Sunday, with Korea keenly watching the process as one of the four candidates for the project if the referendum passes.

ASTANA – As of 7 p.m. Astana time, 7,358 Kazakh citizens abroad cast their votes in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, marking a 59.79% voter turnout, Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko announced during an Oct. 6 briefing at the Central Election Commission.

Kazakhstan votes in a referendum on Sunday on whether to build its first nuclear power plant, an idea promoted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's government as the Central Asian nation seeks to phase out polluting coal plants.

Voters in Kazakhstan will decide on Sunday whether to allow construction of a nuclear power plant amid worries over the environmental impact as well as the potential reliance on the Central Asian nation’s two giant neighbors — China and Russia — for technology.

Kazakhstan is the world's top producer of uranium but has no nuclear power plant of its own. The possible involvement of Russia in the project has also been of concern to some. Although Kazakhstan has abundant oil,