Seoul, Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea, left for the Czech Republic on Thursday for a trip focused on ensuring South Korea’s bid to win a major nuclear energy project and deepen economic ties with the European nation.

During his four-day visit, Yoon will hold talks with Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, trade, investment, technology and other areas.

It comes two months after a consortium led by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) was selected as a preferred bidder to build two nuclear power units at the Dukovany site, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yoon’s trip aims to underscore Seoul’s commitment to the successful implementation of the Czech nuclear project and lay the groundwork for forging a “nuclear energy alliance” between the two nations.

The trip comes at a time when the project faces a legal challenge as U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric filed an appeal with Czech authorities last month, arguing that KHNP’s reactor designs ar
e based on its technology.

The deal, estimated at around 24 trillion won (US$17.3 billion), will mark South Korea’s second nuclear power plant export and is expected to be finalised by the first quarter of next year.

Source: Bahrain News Agency