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| President Moon Jae-in talks with Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, while walking toward an airplane bounding for Prague, a stopover en route to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
President Moon Jae-in plans to ask Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis to support South Korea's bid to construct a nuclear power plant in the central European country.
Cheong Wa Dae also said Moon and Babis will discuss new growth opportunities in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT), according to a press statement released, Tuesday.
The statement also added Babis has been briefed on the specifics of the ongoing denuclearization process with North Korea and efforts by the government to bring about a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The Czech prime minister appreciated Moon's efforts toward improving inter-Korean relations and bringing about peace.
Moon's visit to Prague is a stopover before participating in this year's G20 summit to be held later this week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Nov. 29 until Dec. 1.
Cheong Wa Dae said a summit between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled there.
During the meeting, scheduled for Wednesday night, Moon plans to ask for Prague's support for the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) bid to win a highly lucrative nuclear reactor deal there, as the Czech Republic is considering options to phase out coal-burning plants and reduce carbon emissions.
"Moon agreed with Babis to strengthen the strategic partnership in defense-related industries," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
South Korea is aiming to close its nuclear reactors gradually, but the move is drawing much criticism from relevant industries pushing the government to find ways to keep local nuclear reactor technology competitive internationally.
"Defending national interest with providing assistance to South Korean nuclear power companies helping them win contracts, internationally, now here in the Czech Republic is one of the key issues the President dealt with," the official said.
South Korea's current energy policy is putting pressure on the country's nuclear reactor suppliers as the policy may weaken their ability to export nuclear technology by hurting their market credibility.
The Czech government is on track to decide on how to finance and construct new nuclear reactors for its Temelin power plant by the end of this year. Firms from Russia, the United States and China are competing for bigger stakes in the contract.
The Czech Republic is aiming high for nuclear energy technology, which now accounts for about 40 percent of its power output.
