South Korea said on Wednesday that a Czech court's decision to pause an $18 billion plan to build two nuclear reactors is only a short delay. They believe the project will still happen.

A group of South Korean companies, led by a government energy company, thought they would finish an agreement this week with a part of CEZ, the biggest electricity provider in the Czech Republic. But, a court in the Czech Republic stopped CEZ from signing the contract because it is looking at a complaint from a French company called EDF, which did not win the chance to build the power station.

South Korea's Industry Minister, Ahn Dukgeun, said that a court's decision would only cause a delay in signing the final agreement. He also said that everything else would continue as planned, if the deal is completed. He explained that the Czech government did not expect the court to stop the agreement and that CEZ plans to ask for a different decision.

We don't know when the Czech Supreme Administrative Court will decide on that appeal.

Ahn said the Czech government didn't see EDF's claims as a big problem and invited them to the signing ceremony. He also said it seems the government's view was different from the court's decision.

The Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, said on Wednesday that his government accepts the court's decision. He added that he believes the judges and the court know how important this decision is and how it affects the safety and interests of the Czech Republic.

Lee Ju-Ho, who is temporarily leading South Korea, said that Seoul will work closely with the Czech Republic to make sure the agreement is finished quickly.

In July, CEZ chose KHNP instead of EDF to build two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany plant. Last week, EDF went to court after the Czech competition authority did not agree with its complaint about the bidding process.

Before he was removed last month, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol promised to sell more nuclear power to other countries. He said this business was not doing well because the previous government wanted to use less nuclear energy in South Korea. Yoon's government wanted to sell 10 nuclear power reactors to other countries by 2030.