Yoon: "No Need to Worry About Czech Nuclear Plant... Corporate Disputes Will Be Resolved" (Comprehensive)

Reuters Interview Before Czech Visit
Confidence in Final Nuclear Power Plant Contract

President Yoon Suk-yeol is heading to Air Force One, his official aircraft, at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th for an official visit to the Czech Republic. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that there is "no need to worry" about the Czech nuclear power plant project, which is scheduled for a final contract next March.

According to the Presidential Office on the 19th, President Yoon made these remarks in a written interview with Reuters ahead of his visit to the Czech Republic. Reuters published the article under the headline "President Yoon confident in signing Czech nuclear power plant construction contract despite legal disputes."

President Yoon said, "We will closely communicate with the Czech government to ensure the final contract is smoothly signed and the project is successfully completed," adding, "Above all, the success of the new Czech nuclear power plant project is most important."

Regarding the intellectual property (IP) dispute with the U.S.-based nuclear company Westinghouse, he said, "The governments of South Korea and the United States are working to foster a friendly atmosphere between the companies, and I believe this will lead to an amicable resolution of the dispute between the two companies."

He continued, "Under the firm foundation of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, there is a strong consensus on the necessity of nuclear cooperation between the two countries," emphasizing, "There is no need to worry about the nuclear power plant project."

Earlier, in July, the Czech Republic selected Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power as the preferred negotiator for the new nuclear power plant project, but Westinghouse, which lost the bidding competition, raised objections claiming that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power used reactor design technology patented by Westinghouse.

Yoon: "The Growth Trend of the Nuclear Power Market Is Clear"

Regarding the national agenda of "achieving the export of 10 nuclear reactors by 2030," he explained, "The growth trend of the global nuclear power market is clear," adding, "One of the reasons we were selected as the preferred negotiator for the Czech nuclear power plant was because we demonstrated the ability to build on-time and on-budget both domestically and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)." He added, "For the time being, we will focus solely on the Czech Republic and ensure the successful construction of the Czech nuclear power plant."

President Yoon said, "Following the war in Ukraine, as illegal military and economic cooperation between Russia and North Korea intensifies, the need to strengthen cooperation with European countries that share our values, including the Czech Republic, has become even more prominent."

He also emphasized strategic cooperation with value-sharing countries like the Czech Republic, explaining, "We intend to seek joint response measures with the Czech government regarding North Korea's continued nuclear and missile development and the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea."

President Yoon added, "Any acts that threaten the safety and lives of our people cannot be tolerated," and "We make it clear that there will be consequences if our security is threatened."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee are boarding Air Force One at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th, greeting as they depart for an official visit to the Czech Republic.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

When asked about measures to strengthen the defense industry, he responded, "South Korea is expanding investment in the development of high-performance advanced components and focusing on securing original technologies to build a foundation for autonomous defense," adding, "We are promoting the establishment of a defense research and development (R&D) system centered on materials, parts, and equipment, and plan to solidify the defense industry base by securing full-cycle development capabilities from core materials to finished products."

Regarding a request to evaluate China's perspective on Russia-North Korea military cooperation, he said, "China continues to emphasize the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region," adding, "We are paying close attention to this stance and continuing strategic communication with China in a direction that contributes to stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia."

He further stated, "Our government will continue efforts to ensure that South Korea-China relations are based on norms and rules, contributing to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the international community, and will lead China to play a constructive role in the Korean Peninsula issue."

Regarding the impact of Japan’s new prime minister elected this month and the leadership change in the U.S. following the November presidential election, he said, "The cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan benefits all three countries and greatly contributes to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the international community, so even with changes in U.S. and Japanese leadership, the Camp David cooperation framework will continue to develop."

He added, "Efforts to improve relations between the two countries will promote a higher level of cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan amid the global complex crisis and enhance their contributions to the international community."