Czech President Petr Pavel has expressed optimism about the potential for expanding nuclear cooperation with South Korea beyond the Dukovany project to other European countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. “I believe there is a high possibility that it will expand not only to the Dukovany project but also to other European countries, especially Central and Eastern European countries,” he said following high-level discussions with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol who was on a four-day official visit to Prague.
A South Korean consortium led by the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) in July was selected as the preferred bidder for the construction of up to four NPP units in the Czech Republic. The other contender was France’s EDF. US-based Westinghouse Electric had been excluded from the tender in January, because it “did not meet the necessary conditions”. Westinghouse is currently taking legal action against KHNP saying it “reserves its rights to challenge this in front of the relevant national and international jurisdictions”. Westinghouse reaffirmed its view that “KHNP is not authorised to use Westinghouse reactor technology… without Westinghouse’s agreement”. It says KHNP had failed to comply with US export control rules, which require “authorisation from the US government before sharing technology beyond the agreed to Korea transfer”.
During an interview with Arirang TV, President Pavel elaborated on the decision to select South Korea as a partner, citing rigorous evaluation criteria. “South Korea has been selected as the best choice according to various evaluation criteria,” he stated. He further emphasised the potential for continued collaboration, contingent on the success of the initial contract. “We still consider South Korea’s proposal to be the best in all evaluation criteria. Naturally, it will depend on the success of the first contract, but if the first phase goes well, I believe there is a very high possibility that we will continue to cooperate with the same partner.”
With respect to the legal action taken by Westinghouse, President Pavel acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating, “We are closely monitoring the ongoing legal dispute” and expressed hope for a resolution. “If the legal dispute between KHNP and Westinghouse is resolved, I believe it will be mutually beneficial for both sides,” he said.
President Pavel also spoke warmly of his personal rapport with President Yoon, describing their meetings as opportunities for open and prejudice-free dialogue. “It is always a great joy to meet someone with whom you can talk without prejudice and share a very similar worldview. I am pleased to share such understanding with President Yoon and to freely discuss various challenges and issues we face around the world,” he remarked. “I believe there is potential to develop broader cooperation in various fields such as advanced technology, energy, especially nuclear and renewable energy, the automotive industry, and semiconductors,” he noted.
During the visit Korea and the Czech Republic signed a total of 56 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and other documents that covered various sectors including nuclear energy cooperation.
Yoon and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala attended the signing of a number of MOUs on nuclear energy cooperation during a visit to Doosan Skoda Power and JS Skoda, two nuclear energy companies in Plzen, an industrial city 90 kilometres west of Prague. During the ceremony, 13 MOUs were signed, covering cooperation across the entire nuclear energy cycle, including construction, operation, maintenance, nuclear fuel management and waste disposal.
Doosan Skoda Power and JS Skoda signed agreements to supply nuclear reactor turbines and turbine blades, respectively, to KHNP. The agreements will be confirmed if a final contract is signed in March next year. If finalised, the deal, estimated at around KRW24,000bn ($17.3bn), will mark South Korea’s second NPP export, following its 2009 project to build the four-unit Barakah NPP in the United Arab Emirates.
Yoon and Fiala held a working luncheon meeting in Prague and subsequently addressed a joint news conference on the results of their talks. Yoon highlighted Korea’s strong track record in building nuclear reactors “on time, on budget” based on its expertise in constructing and operating nuclear power plants for more than five decades. He also expressed hope for further advancing bilateral economic ties. “This nuclear deal will elevate the bilateral relationship to more comprehensive, future-oriented cooperation,” Yoon said. “Both nations should harness the momentum from the nuclear energy sector to collaborate across broader industries.” He added: “I hope that Korea and the Czech Republic, as strategic partners, will be reborn as a nuclear energy alliance that looks forward to the next 100 years together.”
He noted that the Korean government plans to invest some $37m over the next decade to promote joint research and development in areas such as nuclear fuel technology, synthetic pharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence (AI) to further advance bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.
During a business forum in Prague, jointly hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) and the Czech Chamber of Commerce, President Yoon proposed that South Korea and the Czech Republic become what he termed “Team Czech-Korea” to achieve “a renaissance in nuclear power plants.” Stressing the need to continue the momentum of the two countries’ cooperation in NPPs, Yoon vowed to pursue the adoption of a Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF) between Seoul and Prague to lay the foundation for comprehensive cooperation in all industries.
The event drew more than 470 participants, including business leaders and government officials from both nations. Trade between the two countries has been growing, surpassing $3bn in 2018, $4bn in 2021 and reaching $4.4bn last year. As of 2023, South Korea is the fourth-largest investor in the Czech Republic, with over 100 Korean companies operating in the country.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Presidential Office denounced claims by opposition parties that the South Korean consortium, which became the preferred for the Czech project had proposed an extremely low bidding price that could waste taxpayers’ money following a rise in construction costs. However, the administration insisted that the pricing of the South Korean consortium was made at a reasonable level. It also argued that President Yoon’s political opponents are trying to harm national interest with groundless rumours regarding the bid.
“The Czech government has chosen the South Korean consortium as the preferred bidder not because of its anticompetitive pricing but because of the consortium’s capacity to complete the construction on time within budget,” South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun told reporters at a news conference in Prague. Ahn said that Ivan Jancarek, Czech ambassador to South Korea, had earlier stated KHNP had suggested a reasonable bidding price. Also, some 200 Czech experts in the fields of energy, law and economy had reviewed the KHNP-led consortium’s bid before Czech authorities announced a preferred bidder in July, according to Ahn.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
