South Korea, Czech Republic review Dukovany nuclear project, discuss EU industrial law

South Korea and the Czech Republic held a video call between their industry ministers Tuesday to review progress on the new Dukovany nuclear power plant project and discuss how to respond to the EU's Industrial Acceleration Act.

The Industrial Acceleration Act, or IAA, is a proposed EU law aimed at strengthening manufacturing capacity within the bloc and accelerating decarbonization. It sets a target of raising manufacturing's share of GDP from 14.3 percent in 2024 to 20 percent by 2035.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Minister Kim Jung-kwan held the third meeting of the Dukovany Implementation Review Committee via video conference with Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček.

The committee, which brings together the two governments, Czech project owner EDU II and South Korean supplier Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to ensure smooth project execution, was launched in February and has met twice before.

At Tuesday's meeting, both sides confirmed that the Dukovany project is proceeding on schedule.

They also reviewed plans to meet upcoming key milestones on time, including the submission of local licensing applications in the Czech Republic, and discussed ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries' nuclear industries in the global market.

Kim conveyed to the Czech side his concern that discussions around the IAA, announced in March, are moving in a direction that would excessively restrict the participation of non-EU countries in the nuclear market.

"With the EU's domestic nuclear supply chain weakened, cooperation with countries like South Korea that have strong supply chains is essential for nuclear construction projects in EU member states such as the Czech Republic to proceed without disruption," Kim said. He urged the Czech Republic to continue its diplomatic efforts within the EU to ensure the IAA does not undermine bilateral cooperation.

Kim also addressed the Czech government's plans to build additional reactors at the Temelín nuclear power plant. "Large-scale nuclear power plants are needed to support the development of the Czech Republic's advanced industries," he said, adding that he hoped the two countries' nuclear partnership would continue at Temelín Units 3 and 4 following Dukovany.

The two sides agreed to hold the fourth Dukovany Implementation Review Committee meeting in South Korea before the end of the year. The fourth meeting is expected to include a joint event for nuclear industry companies from both countries to advance concrete business cooperation outcomes.