Upon news of the Czech Republic's selection of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power(KHNP) as the preferred bidder for its nuclear power plant construction project, President Yoon Suk Yeol said competitiveness of South Korea's nuclear plant industry has once again received recognition in the global market.

According to the presidential office's Director of National Policy Sung Tae-yoon on Wednesday, Yoon thanked the nation's business leaders, people within the nuclear plant industry, and government officials for their hard work as "Team Korea," as well as the public for support.

Referring to the president's nuclear plant sales diplomacy with the Czech Republic, Sung said the latest achievement, which follows Seoul's previous winning bid in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) in 2009, has established a "bridgehead" to export nuclear plants to the industrial hub of Europe.

Asked which factors of KHNP were the most appealing to the Czech side, an official at the top office cited the lowest level of construction unit cost, top-notch safety and technology, as well as successful experience in the UAE's Barakah project.

While anticipating treatment of KHNP as a favored bidder should Prague decide to build additional reactors, the official expected the latest selection to help normalize the domestic nuclear plant ecosystem and establish a foothold in making a leap to become a global powerhouse.