S. Korea calls on US to resolve legal dispute on nuclear reactor export to Czech Republic

The energy ministers of South Korea and the United States hold a meeting in Washington on Thursday. (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang called on the United States to make joint efforts to resolve a legal dispute over Seoul’s potential export of nuclear reactors to the Czech Republic, the Industry Ministry said Friday.

Lee raised the issue during a meeting with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in Washington on Thursday, on the sidelines of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit.

During the talks, the two sides also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on clean energy, climate and energy security, the ministry said.

In the meeting, Lee stressed the rising dependence on nuclear power amid a global energy crisis, and asked for the US government's cooperation in resolving the legal dispute on intellectual property infringement.

Westinghouse Electric, a US-based nuclear technology supplier, filed a lawsuit against South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in October last year, claiming that KHNP needs to obtain approval from the US government to export its nuclear reactor it claims is created based on its technology.

The US Department of Energy had rejected KHNP's filing on its bid for a nuclear reactor construction project in the Czech Republic earlier this year.

In their bilateral talks, Lee and Granholm also agreed to cooperate on establishing a more resilient supply chain of nuclear plants to promote the development and supply expansion of private nuclear power plants, the ministry said.

The two affirmed the need to promote clean energy partnerships through people-to-people exchanges, investments and R&D cooperation between experts. To this end, they agreed to strengthen ties via the Energy Policy Dialogue.

"The US Department of Energy and the ROK Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy recognize the critically important role of private industry to foster innovation and technology deployment, promote joint demonstration projects and expand clean energy jobs and looks forward to engaging with a range of private and public stakeholders to advance clean energy and decarbonization efforts," the two sides said in a joint press release, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name.

Lee also asked the US government to support South Korean energy companies who are operating in the US and seeking tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, the ministry said.

By Jo He-rim(herim@heraldcorp.com)