Officials in South Korea said on Wednesday that a Czech court's decision to pause an $18 billion plan for South Korea to build two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic was just a temporary problem, and they are sure the deal will happen.

A group from South Korea, led by the government-owned Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, thought they would finish the agreement this week with a company that is part of CEZ, the biggest electricity company in the Czech Republic. But, a court in the Czech Republic stopped CEZ from signing the contract while it looks at a complaint from a French company called EDF. EDF did not win the bid against the South Koreans.

In Prague, South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Dukgeun informed journalists that the court's ruling would merely postpone the formal contract signing, while all other steps were expected to continue as planned, provided the transaction is finalised. He noted the Czech government was clearly unprepared for the court's decision to halt the deal and that CEZ intends to appeal.

The timeframe for a ruling by the Czech Supreme Administrative Court on that appeal remains uncertain.

Ahn said the Czech government didn't see EDF's claims as a big issue and still asked them to come to the signing ceremony. He added that it seems the government's view was different from the court's decision.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated on Wednesday that his government respects the court’s decision, subsequently adding: “I trust that the judges and the court comprehend the significance of this decision and its repercussions for the security of the Czech Republic and our national interests.”

Lee Ju-Ho, South Korea's acting president, stated that Seoul would maintain close communication with the Czech Republic to facilitate the swift finalization of the agreement.

In July, CEZ chose KHNP over EDF as the favoured contender to construct two 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors at the Dukovany facility. EDF initiated legal proceedings last week after the Czech Republic’s competition authority dismissed its objection regarding the tendering procedure.

Before he was removed last month because of a controversial decision to impose martial law in December, former conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had promised to increase the country's nuclear power exports. He said they had decreased under the previous liberal government's plan to reduce the use of nuclear energy in the country. Yoon's government had a goal of exporting ten nuclear power reactors by 2030.