Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy evaluated that the resolution of the intellectual property rights dispute related to nuclear power technology between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and the U.S. company Westinghouse has established a foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation in the global nuclear power market.
On the 17th, Minister Ahn issued a statement noting, "This agreement, along with the 'Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Nuclear Power Export and Cooperation' signed by the South Korean and U.S. governments, has laid the groundwork for the two governments and the private sector to cooperate at the highest level while adhering to non-proliferation standards in the global nuclear power market."
He added, "I warmly welcome the agreement to conclude the intellectual property rights dispute regarding nuclear power that has persisted, and I hope that active collaboration between the two corporations will continue in the future."
Previously, on the 16th (local time), KEPCO, KHNP, and Westinghouse agreed to formally end the intellectual property rights dispute in the United States. This agreement has created an atmosphere that effectively finalizes KHNP's contract for the construction of the new nuclear power plant in Dukovany, Czech Republic.
Westinghouse had previously hindered KHNP's exports by claiming that the latest Korean-type nuclear power plant APR1400, which KHNP aims to supply to the Czech Republic, was based on its core technology.
Under a confidentiality agreement, the specific details of this agreement were not disclosed. The nuclear power industry believes that KHNP may have negotiated to provide royalties or work to Westinghouse when exporting to the Czech Republic, or to jointly promote future nuclear power exports at a minimum level.
In the nuclear power industry, analyses suggest that the cooperation of the South Korean and U.S. governments played a crucial role in concluding the intellectual property rights dispute. Last November, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy co-signed the 'MOU on Nuclear Power Export and Cooperation' and officially signed it two months later on the 8th. The MOU contained provisions for strengthening cooperation in the private sector for nuclear power exports between the two countries.