By UN Journal Lee Jon-young

The special envoy delegation of President Yoon Suk-yeol, comprised of Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Sung Tae-yoon and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Deok-geun, met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on July 24 and delivered a letter of thanks from President Yoon for the selection of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) as the preferred bidder for the new nuclear power plant, and discussed follow-up measures.

On behalf of the Korean government and Team Korea, Sung Tae-yoon, head of the envoy delegation, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Czech Republic's new nuclear power plant construction project. 

“President Yoon has instructed all relevant organizations to do their utmost to ensure the success of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, the largest investment project in the Czech Republic's history,” Sung said, conveying the President's message.

In addition, the two governments agreed to establish a hotline between the two ministries of industry to support the smooth follow-up of the Czech nuclear project, and to hold a regular meeting in the near future to discuss cooperation in all areas of nuclear power, including not only nuclear power plant construction but also human resource training, technology development, and joint entry into third countries. 

The two countries also agreed to work closely to ensure that the President Yoon's visit to the Czech Republic in September, which was decided during a phone call between the two leaders on July 23, will be fruitful.

Prime Minister Fiala once again congratulated KHNP on its selection as the preferred bidder, saying that the new nuclear power plant will be an important step towards securing the Czech Republic's energy security and enhancing its industrial competitiveness, and that the cooperation will further strengthen the strong strategic partnership between the two countries. 

He also hoped that the successful implementation of the NPP project and ways to deepen economic cooperation would be discussed in detail during President Yoon's upcoming visit to the Czech Republic.

“As both countries have a manufacturing-based industrial structure with great potential for economic cooperation, let's greatly expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, and science and technology,” Sung suggested, and the Czech side expressed its sympathy and agreed to continue specific discussions in the future.