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Czech Nuclear Power Plant Multi-Billion Loss? Presidential Office: "Nonsense Fake News"

The Office of the President refuted the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, who raised allegations of dumping related to the Dukovany nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic, calling it "utterly baseless fake news."


Park Chunsup, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs to the President (left), and Ahn Deokgeun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (right), are briefing on the achievements of President Yoon Sukyeol's visit to the Czech Republic and nuclear power plant sales at the Korea Press Center in Prague on the 19th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

Park Choonseop, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Presidential Office, held a briefing in Prague, Czech Republic, on the afternoon of the 19th (local time), and stated, "This is a nonsensical distortion that undermines the President's efforts to create jobs and revitalize the economy by rebuilding the nuclear power ecosystem through overseas visits."


Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Dukgeun also addressed the dumping allegations at the briefing, saying, "The Czech government has made it clear that its decision to select Korea was not based on dumping, but on trust in Korea's proven ability to adhere to construction timelines and budgets." He added, "Spreading baseless fake news about dumping contracts does nothing to help future contract negotiations and only harms the national interest."


Minister Ahn stated, "It is not true that President Yoon's visit to the Czech Republic was hastily arranged," and explained, "This official visit took place for the first time in nine years at the invitation of the Czech Prime Minister, following a phone call between the two leaders on July 23."


Regarding the criticism that 'Korea could end up building a nuclear power plant for the Czech Republic and even shoulder the losses', Minister Ahn said, "It is completely untrue that the Czech government has borrowed 9 trillion won from the European Union (EU) for the new nuclear power plant project," and explained, "The Czech government plans to finance the nuclear power plant construction on its own, and so far, there has been no request for financial cooperation from the Czech side."

"Trillions of won in losses may occur, potentially requiring the pouring of national tax revenue""They said it was a 24 trillion won jackpot... but when difficulties arose due to the US raising issues, it was a hurriedly created schedule"
"Trillions of won in losses may occur, potentially requiring the pouring of national tax revenue"

"They said it was a 24 trillion won jackpot... but when difficulties arose due to the US raising issues, it was a hurriedly created schedule"
"It is not true that the Czech Republic borrowed 9 trillion won from the EU"

"An official visit after 9 years took place on July 23 following the invitation of the Czech Prime Minister"

In response to the opposition's claim that Korea should invest in renewable energy worth 1,000 trillion won instead of exporting nuclear power plants, he said, "Many countries are paying attention to nuclear power as an energy source that can meet the needs of semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), the climate crisis, and energy security," adding, "The global nuclear renaissance is a major trend in the energy market, and we will actively invest in renewable energy as well as the nuclear market."


Earlier, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center, arguing, "If things continue as they are, losses worth trillions of won could occur, and taxpayers' money may have to be poured in," and called for a complete reconsideration of the final contract for the Czech nuclear power plant project.


They also criticized President Yoon's visit to the Czech Republic, saying, "The so-called 24 trillion won jackpot nuclear power export was hastily scheduled after the United States raised concerns." They added, "Czech media outlets point out that the Yoon administration offered a dumping price," and said, "It is time to objectively reconsider whether the push to achieve President Yoon's goal of exporting 10 nuclear power plants is being carried out too aggressively."

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