Park calls for cooperation in building nuclear reactors in Czech Republic

PRAGUE, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye called Wednesday for bilateral cooperation in building nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic in her first summit with her Czech counterpart Milos Zeman. South Korea and the Czech Republic "can expect to have a considerable synergy effect if we cooperate" on nuclear reactors, Park said in a joint news conference with Zeman after the summit in Prague. Park also said bilateral cooperation on nuclear reactors could help further strengthen a bilateral strategic partnership, which was inked earlier this year. Zeman said he thinks positively of South Korea's intention to participate in his country's nuclear reactor project. In May, the Czech Republic announced its plan to build two nuclear reactors expected to be worth over 10 trillion won (US$8.6 billion) and is scheduled to select a successful bidder in 2019. The central European country currently relies on six nuclear reactors to meet 35 percent of its energy needs. After the summit, Park and Zeman observed the signing of a memorandum of understanding calling for cooperation on nuclear reactors. South Korea hopes the MOU could pave the way for South Korea to make inroads into the Czech market for nuclear power plant construction. South Korea -- which relies on 24 nuclear reactors for one-third of its energy needs -- has emerged as a new export powerhouse of nuclear power plants in recent years. In 2009, a South Korean consortium won a US$20.4-billion project to build four light water nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates by 2020 in South Korea's first export of nuclear reactors. South Korea and the Czech Republic "can get a win-win result if the Czech Republic capitalizes on South Korea's strength in pushing for the construction of new nuclear reactors," Park said in a written interview published Wednesday in Hospodarske noviny, an economic daily. South Korea and the Czech Republic also inked other MOUs calling for cooperation in health care, information and communications technologies and the culture industry. An Chong-bum, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, told reporters that South Korea could make inroads into the health care markets in the Czech Republic as well as Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The four central European countries form the so-called Visegrad Group. Park also said that she expects the Czech Republic to make contributions to a peaceful unification of South and North Korea, citing the Czech Republic's successful transformation after the collapse of the Soviet-backed regime in Prague more than two decades ago. Zeman said that he is confident that South and North Korea will be united again in the not too distant future, noting the Czech Republic supports the unification of the Korean Peninsula. In February, Park said the Czech Republic's successful transformation could send a clear message to North Korea to ensure that the North should move toward the right path. South Korea has repeatedly urged North Korea to embrace reform and openness by abandoning its nuclear weapons programs. Still, North Korea has vowed to develop its economy and nuclear arsenal in tandem, viewing its nuclear programs as a powerful deterrent against what it claims is Washington's hostile policy against it. South Korea and the U.S. warned that the North's policy is a dead end for the country. Park said she and Zeman agreed to make efforts to ensure North Korea abandon its nuclear program and join the international community. The two leaders vowed to join the international efforts to combat terrorism. Also Wednesday, Park attended a forum that drew about 250 business leaders from both sides and called for bilateral cooperation in energy and health care. Park later watched a Czech puppet show that features a South Korean traditional story at a national theater in Prague. "I hope that creators of both countries meet and produce better cultural contents and people of both countries share their minds through culture," Park said. entropy@yna.co.kr (END)