Trying to protect a lucrative contract, South Korean President personally visits a Central European country, sending a strong message to Russia and North Korea

On September 19, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began a four-day official visit to the Czech Republic.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife began their visit to the Czech Republic on September 19. (Source: Yonhap)

During the four-day trip, President Yoon is expected to meet with his host counterpart Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala to discuss cooperation in nuclear energy, trade and other priority areas.

This will be the first official visit by a South Korean president to the Central European country in nearly nine years.

The visit comes after the Czech Republic selected Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power ( KHNP) , a South Korean nuclear reactor operator, as the contractor to build two units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant.

However, the project is facing a legal challenge as US-based nuclear power company Westinghouse Electric filed an appeal with Czech authorities last month claiming that KHNP's reactor design was based on its technology.

Yonhap news agency quoted the South Korean Presidential Office as saying that Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol's trip aims to reaffirm Seoul's commitment to the successful implementation of the Czech nuclear project and lay the foundation for building a "nuclear energy alliance" between the two countries.

The deal, estimated at 24 trillion won ($18.03 billion), would mark South Korea's second nuclear power plant export, following a project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2009.

In an interview with Reuters , President Yoon Suk Yeol said Seoul and Washington are working to create a "friendly atmosphere" between businesses in the nuclear energy sector to resolve differences over intellectual property rights.

Just before the visit, the South Korean president also warned that North Korea and Russia would face consequences if their actions posed any threat to Seoul.

According to TASS news agency, during his visit to the Czech Republic, Mr. Yoon also plans to discuss Russia-North Korea cooperation and Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Earlier, in June, Russia and North Korea signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which includes provisions for immediate military support in the event of conflict. Russia asserted that the treaty does not threaten South Korea and denied accusations of arms trade with North Korea.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/co-gang-bao-ve-hop-dong-beo-bo-tong-thong-han-quoc-than-chinh-den-mot-nuoc-trung-au-gui-thong-diep-ran-toi-nga-trieu-286920.html