Hearing Sought Amid Controversy Over Czech Nuclear Plant Contractor Switch...Ruling Party Says "No Agreement Was Reached"

[Financial News] A National Assembly hearing is being pursued over controversy surrounding the replacement of the contractor for Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP)'s new nuclear plant construction project in Dukovany, Czech Republic. However, the ruling party has said it did not agree to holding a hearing, leaving it unclear whether one will actually take place.
According to the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee on the 13th, opposition parties are pushing for a hearing to determine the circumstances surrounding the breakdown of contract negotiations between KHNP and the existing contractor, among other things.
However, the office of Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jang Chul-min, the ruling party's coordinator on the committee, said that day, "Reports that the ruling and opposition parties' coordinators agreed to a hearing related to the Czech nuclear plant contractor are not true," adding, "There was no agreement."
KHNP announced earlier, on the 29th of last month, that it had ended negotiations with the Daewoo Engineering & Construction–Doosan Enerbility consortium on construction contracts for Dukovany Units 5 and 6 and would begin the process of selecting a new contractor.
KHNP cited differences over construction costs and contract terms, while Daewoo Engineering & Construction has raised suspicions that the decision was made with a specific company in mind.
KHNP plans to select a new contractor through competitive bidding, sign a contract with it in July next year, and begin site preparation work in January 2028.

[email protected] Kim Gyeong-min Reporter