South Korea is expected to be the largest nuclear power importer in the future, but the deal is on hold just before the Czech Republic orders are signed.

On the 20th, the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo cited a report from the US news agency Bloomberg and said, "Nuclear power generation is once again in the spotlight due to the increasing demand for electricity caused by climate change and the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
"The analysis shows that South Korea will benefit from the nuclear power export market," Bloomberg reported. According to the paper, South Korea could emerge as one of the biggest exporters of nuclear power technology in the next decade.
Regarding the export of nuclear power plants from Korea, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, a nuclear power plant operator, was recently selected as the final operator of a new nuclear power plant in the Dukovany region of the Czech Republic. If this is realized, it will be a major step for Korea.
This was the first nuclear export in 16 years, and the contract was about to be signed, but on the 6th of this month, the day before the signing ceremony, a Czech court accepted an objection filed by Electricite de France, a competitor of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
The signing ceremony was canceled due to the decision by the government to withdraw the contract. A tense atmosphere is hanging over South Korea, where Bloomberg predicts that "it could emerge as one of the biggest nuclear technology export departures in a decade."
According to the Chosun Ilbo, Bloomberg reported in a STREAM article on the 15th that after analyzing over 400 nuclear power projects planned and proposed around the world, it was determined that South Korea could win 43% of them.
The article pointed out that while there are only a limited number of countries and companies that can build nuclear reactors, South Korea is relatively advantageous geographically and politically.
"The North Korean government is particularly active in this regard, and is attracting attention from Western countries that are wary of cooperation with China and Russia," he said. Former President Yoon Seok-yeol has been a driving force behind the export of nuclear power plants.
The plan aims to revive the nuclear power industry, which had been in a slump under the Moon Jae-in administration before the Yoon administration, while also aiming for economic benefits in light of the growing demand for nuclear power around the world.
With this goal in mind, he has been actively promoting "nuclear power sales diplomacy." In September of last year, he visited the Czech Republic, which is trying to reduce the proportion of thermal power generation and increase the proportion of nuclear power generation.
In their meeting with Pavel at the time, Yoon said, "As a nuclear power plant jointly built by Korea and the Czech Republic, it will be a mutually beneficial project that will contribute to the economic growth of both countries."
The Czech Republic is promoting the construction of four reactors, including the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Dukovany region, and South Korea has set its sights on winning the contract for the new construction of the nuclear plant in 2022.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Electricity of France were also seeking the order, but Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power highlighted its price competitiveness and ability to meet construction deadlines.
However, in the process, rival Électricité de France raised concerns about Korea Hydro & Electro-Power's lack of contractual capacity and violations of foreign subsidy regulations.
Westinghouse has also filed legal action and petitions with the Czech antitrust agency, alleging that Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power is infringing its intellectual property rights.
The Czech government later rejected these objections. South Korea was scheduled to sign a contract with the Czech government for the construction of the Dukovany nuclear power plant on the 7th of this month.
However, Electricite de France continues to claim that there are procedural issues in the order process for Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and has filed an application for a provisional injunction with the district court in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, to suspend the execution of the contract.
The district court issued a provisional injunction prohibiting the signing of a final contract between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the ordering company until a ruling on the merits of the lawsuit brought by Electricité de France is reached.
This decision was unexpected for South Korea, which was about to enter into a contract, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)
The signing ceremony was canceled, but South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported, "The contract was cancelled due to a lawsuit filed by Electricité de France, a competitor in the bid, and the October
"Given upcoming elections in the Czech Republic, there are growing concerns that a final contract may be delayed indefinitely."
This is the first nuclear power plant in South Korea in 16 years since the Bakara nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2009.
However, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has responded calmly, saying it will "respect the legal procedures in the Czech Republic," and that it will "receive the qualifications and benefits associated with the final contract."
"We plan to actively cooperate with the Czech side to protect the nuclear power plant," he said.
Bloomberg, a news outlet that compares the 2009 contract for the Bacara nuclear power plant with the postponement of the current contract for the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, said, "In the Middle East, we were able to take advantage of low-wage immigrant labor.
It is difficult to directly apply this to cases like Yeko, where local, highly paid labor must be used."