{
  "id": 17029419,
  "title": "Kim Backs KHNP's Contract Talks Termination",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/kim-backs-khnps-contract-talks-termination",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-29T08:02:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BusinessKorea",
    "slug": "businesskorea",
    "url": "https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=279981"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) has officially concluded negotiations with a construction consortium aiming to develop the Dukovany nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic. Although disagreements between the parties caused challenges during the contractor-selection phase, the government intends to support KHNP's decision to terminate the contract discussions and expedite subsequent steps to complete the project. On October 29, Trade, Industry, and Energy Minister Kim Jeong-gwan shared his stance on social media, expressing respect for KHNP's determination to end the negotiations. KHNP had been engaged in talks with a consortium composed of Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. and Doosan Enerbility Co., but announced on the same day that the negotiations had ended due to the inability to resolve key issues. Despite expressing regret over the circumstances, Minister Kim stressed the critical need for the project schedule. The government believes that establishing trust is essential, as a nuclear power plant project spans a century from contract to operation; hence, delaying the promised timeline with the Czech side is no longer an option. The government plans to ensure that the breakdown in negotiations will not disrupt the overall project. KHNP is set to select a new construction company and devise follow-up measures to minimize any project gaps, indicating a commitment to swiftly move forward by partnering with a different entity instead of remaining stuck in negotiations with the current consortium. A comprehensive evaluation of Team Korea's cooperation framework is also anticipated. Minister Kim assured that the government will utilize this experience as a lesson to strengthen the cooperation system, reaffirming its determination to maintain external confidence in the Republic of Korea's nuclear power industry even amid unforeseen challenges. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy stated that it would continue to maintain close communication with the Czech government and related companies, closely monitoring the project's progress. Minister Kim pledged that the government would actively support the successful completion of the project, reaffirming that nuclear power cooperation with the Czech Republic will persist without wavering.",
  "summary": "Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) has formally ended negotiations with the construction consortium that had been preparing the Dukovany nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic together with the company. Although differences between the companies led to difficulties at the contractor-s",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing strict adherence to the project timeline over stalled negotiations signals a shift toward selecting more reliable partners to maintain international confidence in the Korean nuclear industry.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}