South Korean officials said a Czech court's decision to temporarily stop a big project to build two nuclear reactors was only a small problem for now. They said they were confident the deal would still happen.

A group of South Korean companies, led by the government-owned Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, expected to sign the deal this week with a company that is part of CEZ, the Czech Republic’s biggest electricity provider. But a Czech court stopped CEZ from signing the contract while it looks at a complaint from a French company called EDF. EDF also wanted the contract but did not win.

South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Dukgeun told reporters in Prague that the court's decision would only make the signing of the main contract later. He said that everything else would happen as planned if the agreement is approved. He also said that the Czech government clearly did not think the court would stop the deal, and that CEZ wants to challenge the decision.

It is not clear when the Czech Supreme Administrative Court will make a decision about that appeal.

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

On Wednesday, the Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, said his government accepts the court's decision. He added, "I believe the judges and the court know how important this decision is and how it affects the safety of the Czech Republic and our country's interests."

Lee Ju-Ho, the temporary president of South Korea, said that South Korea will work closely with the Czech Republic to make sure the agreement is finished quickly.

Last week, EDF took legal action after the Czech competition authority dismissed their objection regarding the selection process for the company that will construct new reactors at the Dukovany nuclear plant. In July, CEZ had already chosen KHNP over EDF to build two large reactors there.

Before he was removed from his job last month, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol promised to increase the country's nuclear power exports. He said exports had decreased because the previous government wanted to use less nuclear energy in South Korea. Yoon's government aimed to sell 10 nuclear power plants to other countries by 2030.