NEW CLEAR

PRAGUE — With eyes set on inking a major nuclear power plant deal next spring, President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped a four-day official visit to the Czech Republic on Sunday that focused on building a nuclear energy alliance and strengthening the strategic partnership with the Central European nation. During Yoon’s visit, Korea and the Czech Republic signed a total of 56 memorandums of understanding (MOU) and other documents, including those laying the foundation for cooperation across the full cycle of the nuclear power plant ecosystem. In July, the Czech government selected a Korean consortium comprising Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Doosan Enerbility and Daewoo Engineering & Construction as the preferred bidder for an estimated 24 trillion won ($17.3 billion) project to build two nuclear reactors in Dukovany. On Thursday, Yoon and Czech President Petr Pavel held a bilateral summit in Prague and attended a bilateral business forum the following day. On Friday, Yoon and Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited nuclear energy parts manufacturers Doosan Skoda Power and Skoda JS, held a working luncheon and gave a joint news conference afterward. The summit and various meetings were an occasion for the two sides to address and assuage concerns about possible legal hurdles after U.S. company Westinghouse Electric and France's EDF filed appeals, posing possible challenges to Korea and the Czech Republic signing a legally-binding agreement next March. It also could provide an opportunity for Team Korea to secure additional nuclear power plant orders in the country in the future and for the Czech Republic to serve as a partner in nuclear energy cooperation in other parts of Europe. *Korea JoongAng Daily, 2024-09-22