Yoon vows to intently oversee Czech nuclear plant deal till finalization
By Lee Hyo-jin, Anna J. Park
PRAGUE, SEOUL — President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned his authorities will intently monitor a landmark 24 trillion gained ($17.4 billion) nuclear energy plant cope with the Czech Republic via to its remaining levels, emphasizing its significance as a serious achievement in joint financial improvement.
He added that past the nuclear energy plant undertaking, the partnership between the 2 nations will prolong to power safety and the event of associated excessive applied sciences.
Yoon made the remarks in Prague, Thursday (native time), throughout a summit with Czech President Petr Pavel, the place they centered on enhancing financial and power cooperation.
“I instructed President Pavel that the brand new Dukovany nuclear energy plant, which corporations from each nations will construct collectively, shall be a milestone in our joint financial development and power cooperation, and an essential alternative to strengthen our strategic partnership,” Yoon mentioned throughout a joint press convention following the summit.
Yoon additionally emphasised that his authorities will intently monitor the method till the ultimate contract is signed within the first half of subsequent yr to make sure a profitable execution.
The go to, the primary by a South Korean president in 9 years, adopted the Czech authorities’s collection of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Energy (KHNP) as the popular bidder for the Dukovany nuclear energy plant undertaking in July.
The undertaking entails developing two nuclear reactors in Dukovany, with the Czech authorities additionally considering the addition of two extra reactors in Temelin at a later stage. Contracts are anticipated to be finalized in March 2025, with development scheduled to start in 2029.
Nonetheless, the development of the undertaking has confronted potential setbacks following an attraction in August by U.S. nuclear power agency Westinghouse Electrical and French firm EDF to the Czech Workplace for the Safety of Competitors. These corporations argued that KHNP’s choice violated tender ideas.
Concerning the considerations that their complaints may pressure the nuclear power alliance between Seoul and Prague, Yoon and his Czech counterpart each expressed confidence that the difficulty could be easily solved. The South Korean chief’s journey to Prague was seen as an effort to make sure the deal stays on observe regardless of these challenges.
“Whereas the governments of Korea and the U.S. each share a robust consensus on nuclear power cooperation, the South Korean authorities is supporting the sleek decision of points between Korean and U.S. corporations. Moreover, KHNP is making certain numerous measures to ensure the participation of Czech corporations. I’m assured that, identical to with the Barakah nuclear energy plant within the UAE, this shall be resolved efficiently,” President Yoon defined through the press convention.
A senior presidential official reaffirmed the president’s remark in Prague, Thursday night, stating that there’s “a deep consensus that Korea and the U.S. ought to cooperate to ascertain a joint partnership, and each governments are actively working towards this aim at this level.”
Throughout the press convention, Yoon additionally emphasised that South Korea and the Czech Republic will additional improve their collaboration in science, expertise, biotechnology and digital innovation, as subsequent yr will mark the thirty fifth anniversary of their diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic cooperation.
“If the contract for the nuclear energy plant is finalized and development begins, we’ll work along with the Czech Republic on each step of the design and development course of … Constructing a nuclear energy plant collectively signifies a strategic partnership between our two nations taking a step ahead. I’m assured that cooperation in superior industries and cutting-edge science and expertise can even develop,” President Yoon mentioned.
Czech President Pavel emphasised that to attain its net-zero objectives, his nation has no alternative however to develop nuclear energy vegetation. He additionally highlighted the broader potential for nuclear cooperation with Korea throughout Europe.
“Nations such because the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland have plans to additional develop nuclear energy, providing vital alternatives for collaboration with Korea. We are able to collectively discover third-country markets, and if our cooperation within the Czech Republic proves profitable, increasing into different nations could be a logical subsequent step,” Pavel mentioned through the joint press convention.
Settlement on regional safety cooperation
The 2 nations additionally voiced a shared stance on the significance of safety cooperation, highlighting that the leaders agreed to work collectively to deal with threats from North Korea’s rising aggression. The Czech Republic, as a member of each the European Union and NATO, is a key safety companion for South Korea in Central Europe, in response to Yoon’s workplace.
“We agreed to intently cooperate on the North’s threats, as we reaffirm that North Korea has nothing to achieve from reckless and irrational provocations that undermine peace and stability,” Yoon mentioned through the press convention.
Yoon’s feedback come, as recently, North Korea has been intensifing its provocations via each standard and unconventional strategies. Pyongyang fired a number of short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, marking its eleventh launch of the yr. Moreover, the regime has dispatched hundreds of balloons full of trash towards South Korea on 21 events since late Could.
“The unlawful navy cooperation between Russia and North Korea, which violates U.N. Safety Council resolutions, poses a severe risk to worldwide peace and safety,” the South Korean president harassed.
Collaborating on efficient measures to assist the Ukrainian individuals regain peace was one other essential challenge mentioned through the summit talks. Because the battle with Russia continues, South Korea has dedicated to supporting Kyiv in its eventual post-war restoration efforts, with each the federal government and native corporations devoted to advancing these initiatives.
President Yoon defined that each nations will actively assist corporations from every nation that want to take part in Ukraine’s reconstruction. This assist will embrace facilitating concrete cooperation via sharing enterprise data, collectively growing initiatives and attracting joint investments.
The 2 leaders have been current when the international ministers from the 2 nations signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in reconstruction initiatives and humanitarian help for Ukraine at Prague Fort, Thursday.
On Friday, Yoon will go to the commercial metropolis of Plzen to examine nuclear power corporations and attend a enterprise discussion board. He can even maintain separate conferences with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Parliamentary Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova and Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil later within the afternoon.