Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired a meeting at Government Complex Seoul on Thursday, November 12, to review Team Korea’s progress on the Czech nuclear power project. The minister examined Team Korea’s plans to meet two key milestones for the Dukovany project: submitting a construction permit application in April 2027 and starting construction in November 2029. Participants also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among Team Korea members. The meeting formed part of the emergency management system introduced in November 2026 and led by the MOTIR minister and vice minister. The November 2 meeting, chaired by the vice minister, focused on the implementation plans of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). The November 12 review covered progress across Team Korea.

All state-owned Team Korea companies participating in the project attended, including KHNP, KEPCO Engineering & Construction (KEPCO E&C), KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, and KEPCO KPS. The companies confirmed that they had continued to advance the Dukovany project by fulfilling their respective responsibilities over the 16 months since the project contract was signed in June 2025. Participants also closely reviewed schedules and plans for meeting major milestones on time, including applications for permits and licenses in the Czech Republic.

Following the end of negotiations on the construction contract on October 29, the participating companies pledged to work with the government to respond swiftly and effectively to the crisis and further strengthen confidence in the Korean nuclear industry’s ability to deliver “On Time, On Budget.” They also reaffirmed their commitment to renewing the “Team Korea spirit” and rallying around their shared goal.

During the meeting, KHNP presented detailed action plans that identified essential follow-up measures after the negotiations ended and set out how to track progress. The plans covered three areas: work during the transition to a new construction contractor, selection of the new contractor, and steps to meet key milestones.

The transition work includes preparations for the April 2027 construction permit application. KHNP divided the work into design and permitting, verification of site information, and securing land for accommodation. Within each area, it identified tasks it could perform directly, tasks that could be undertaken by Czech companies already under contract with KHNP, and tasks requiring new contracts. KHNP drew up weekly plans for each task so it could proceed quickly and maintain continuity during the transition.

KHNP set July 2027 as the target for selecting a new construction contractor. It aims to complete the selection in less time than a standard open competitive tender would take, using a contract award system based on a comprehensive evaluation of bids under the Act on Contracts to Which the State Is a Party. This approach will help verify bidders’ ability to carry out the work and ensure a transparent and fair selection process. KHNP will form a dedicated joint task force with KEPCO E&C, draw on the 2023 bidding documents for Shin-Hanul Units 3 and 4, and hold preliminary briefings to explain bidding requirements in detail.

“To preserve trust and cooperation within Team Korea and further enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s nuclear industry, the government will step up its oversight so that state-owned nuclear companies take greater responsibility and demonstrate stronger leadership,” Minister Kim said. “Through this meeting, we will seek solutions to current challenges by having the companies share their experience of entering a new market with a new reactor design and by examining how the government can provide administrative and diplomatic support.” He added, “We will maintain close communication with the Czech government through consultation channels at multiple levels, including the ministerial Dukovany Steering Committee, ad hoc meetings, and weekly director-general-level meetings. We will use these channels to maintain confidence that the Dukovany project remains on track and convey Team Korea’s requests for cooperation to the Czech side.”

KHNP President and CEO Kim Hoe Chun said, “We are proceeding with the necessary steps to select a new construction contractor, with July 2027 as our target. Until then, we will deploy additional KHNP personnel to perform some tasks directly. For urgent work, including the design of ancillary facilities, we will use separate contracts and carefully oversee the work to prevent interruptions.” He added, “With regular reviews by MOTIR and close cooperation with the Czech government, the project owner, and our partners, we will closely monitor project progress. We will make every effort to keep the project on track and ensure that main plant components and other key equipment are supplied on schedule under the contracts signed in December 2025.”

KEPCO E&C President and CEO Kim Tae-kyun said, “Under the contract signed in December 2025, we are responsible for designing the Dukovany plant. Over the 15 months since the project began, we have submitted approximately 3,800 design documents on time. We have also successfully signed an initial design contract with a Czech engineering company and are pursuing additional contracts.” He added, “We will carry out rigorous design work in line with Czech legal requirements and do everything we can to file the construction permit application as scheduled in five months.”

KEPCO Nuclear Fuel CEO Jeong Chang-jin said, “We are fulfilling our nuclear fuel responsibilities as planned. In May and June, our experts successfully provided training to transfer technical know-how to the project owner, further improving customer satisfaction.”

KEPCO KPS President and CEO Kim Hongyoun said, “We are actively responding to requests from the Czech side, including by submitting technical documentation needed to obtain a construction permit for the new Dukovany units. Drawing on 40 years of maintenance experience in Korea and overseas, we will successfully carry out our work on the new units.”