President Yoon Suk Yeol’s recent summit with Czech leader Petr Pavel delivered a clear and consistent message: Korea’s chances of winning the Dukovany nuclear power plant project next year are higher than initially expected.
If Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) secures the multi-billion dollar deal, it would be a milestone event, elevating Korea’s status in the nuclear energy sector to a new level. This anticipated breakthrough could transform the local nuclear energy industry into a highly lucrative venture, particularly as demand for nuclear reactors rises with the revolutionizing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across various industries.
The AI boom has pushed global demand for electricity ever upwards. According to the International Energy Agency, the consumption of electricity by data centers will double by 2026. This surge in demand has renewed interest in nuclear reactors, as nuclear energy provides an efficient, low-emission method of power generation. Many countries that had previously
been skeptical about nuclear power following the Fukushima nuclear accident are now revising their stances and unveiling plans to build nuclear reactors to meet the growing electricity needs.
Time is on the side of countries like Korea, which possesses globally competitive technology and a strong track record in the industry.
As the Czech president noted during a news conference on Friday following his summit with Yoon, Korea’s potential success in the Dukovany power plant deal could pave the way for the Korea’s exports of nuclear technology. Currently, several European countries, including the Netherlands and Poland, announced their plans to build nuclear reactors.
To help Korea seize these opportunities overseas, bipartisan support for nuclear technology is necessary.
Unfortunately, the current political landscape makes it nearly impossible for political parties here to unite on certain policy issues. The nation is more divided than ever before. At the National Assembly, bipartisan bills are a rarity, i
f not entirely absent. Parties are locked in aimless bickering and partisan politics. Politicians appear to be oblivious to issues such as the national interest, caring only about their own survival. This is deplorable, if not disgusting.
A group of five opposition lawmakers held a news conference on Thursday to urge Yoon to scrap the plan to export nuclear energy technology.
Among them were Reps. Min Hyung-bae from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Seo Wang-jin from the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, who described Yoon’s visit to the Czech Republic as “a diplomatic quick fix.” They argue that Yoon decided to visit the Czech Republic in person after it became clear that securing the nuclear deal was unrealistic, following Westinghouse’s appeal against the Czech government’s decision to select KHNP as the preferred bidder in July.
“Trillions won of deficits will be inevitable if Korea wins the Czech nuclear deal. And if this happens, an astronomical amount of taxpayers’ money will be po
ured to make up the deficit,” they claimed, urging the government to redirect investments from nuclear energy to renewable energy sources.
These politicians did not explain why deficits are deemed inevitable, leaving them open to criticism that they might be misusing their parliamentary privileges. Criticizing an action without clearly addressing why it is wrong can be seen as mere criticism for the sake of criticism.
Opposition parties and politicians are encouraged to challenge the president, the ruling party, or both if they believe policies are heading in the wrong direction. Constructive criticism based on solid evidence can foster a culture of healthy debate within the nation’s politics.
However, politicians are expected to make valid points when criticizing the government or rival parties. Responsible politicians should focus on constructive criticism rather than criticism for its own sake to help steer the government and policies back on the right track. Baseless accusations are the source of misin
formation, a common enemy that all nations are striving to prevent because they sow discord and polarize society.
Politicians who rely on the old divide-and-rule tactic for their own survival are often not much different from rumormongers.
The only difference is that divisive politicians are worse than rumormongers because their actions destabilize democracy.
If there are doubts or unknown challenges related to the Czech nuclear deal, as the five lawmakers allege, they should clearly address what these challenges are and their significance, rather than merely repeating gossip. The triviality of self-serving political actions can leave the public weary of partisan politics.
Source: Yonhap News Agency