[비즈한국] It has been revealed that France engaged in espionage, information theft, and the manipulation of local experts to sway public opinion in an attempt to defeat South Korea in the Czech nuclear power plant bid. These activities were uncovered and documented in reports by the Security Information Service (BIS), the Czech counter-intelligence agency, and the incident is expected to intensify diplomatic friction between France and the Czech Republic.
In an article titled “Leaks, Lawsuits, Lobbyists, and Secret BIS Reports: How the French Unsuccessfully Tried to Stop Dukovany” (Úniky, žaloby, lobbisté, tajné zprávy BIS. Jak se Francouzi neúspěšně snažili zarazit Dukovany), published on June 4, the Czech investigative magazine Respekt provided a detailed account of France’s espionage activities during the competition for the Czech nuclear project and how these actions were exposed.
According to Respekt, regarding the project currently being pushed for construction in the Dukovany region of the Czech Republic, the Czech government sought to sign a contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) last March, but negotiations hit a snag when the Czech side demanded that 60% of the work be allocated to domestic Czech companies.
Subsequently, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček visited South Korea in February to advance the negotiations, and by early May, preparations for signing the contract with KHNP were underway.
However, the French nuclear supplier EDF (Électricité de France) filed for an injunction in a Czech court, delaying the signing of the contract. While the court temporarily halted the signing, the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic lifted the measure on June 4, and the Czech government signed the final contract with KHNP just hours later.
However, according to Respekt, France did not stop at legal measures. Stéphane Séjourné, an EU Commissioner and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to the Czech government pressuring them by claiming that the South Korean government and KHNP were entering into an unfair contract. Beyond these official channels, it was revealed that France conducted organized activities to sabotage South Korea through unofficial means.
France’s activities reportedly involved 15 Czech individuals—including former officials, lobbyists, nuclear experts, and even current bureaucrats—who were mobilized to advocate for the French position. While maintaining a facade of neutrality, they allegedly worked to cultivate public opinion that questioned the South Korean proposal.
Furthermore, Respekt reported that during the official exchange of correspondence between France and the Czech Republic, France was found to have obtained the content and delivery status of the letters before the Czech government, suggesting that an insider may have leaked confidential information.
These details are contained in three reports prepared by the Czech counter-intelligence agency, BIS. Jakub Janda, director of the Czech civil security think tank European Values, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Czech government is very angry" over these actions by the French government, pointing out that this incident could escalate beyond the KHNP nuclear contract into a full-scale diplomatic issue between France and the Czech Republic.
This incident has confirmed that France's suspected espionage activities within the EU, which were previously only rumored, are indeed factual. In particular, it was revealed that France has been secretly cultivating lobbyists and conducting operations to foster negative public sentiment toward South Korea as they compete in various sectors, including defense, alongside nuclear energy.
Beyond the Czech nuclear bid, South Korea and France are currently competing in various areas, including submarine projects in Poland and Canada, and fighter jet programs in Indonesia.