A Czech envoy visited a South Korean nuclear power plant last week amid the ongoing process to select the winner for the European nation's construction project estimated at around 30 trillion won ($22 billion), industry sources said Wednesday.

Ivan Jancarek, the Czech Republic's ambassador to South Korea, visited the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in Ulsan, 299 kilometers south of Seoul, on Friday, and was briefed on the overall operations of the facility, according to the sources.

The visit came just a few days after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power submitted its formal bid for a project to construct four nuclear reactors in the European nation in late April.

The Czech government earlier invited bids for its nuclear plant projects from the KHNP and France's EDF, with a final decision expected to be made around June and July.

Industry watchers said the envoy's visit to the country's latest nuclear power plant is notable as it was arranged after the KHNP submitted its formal documents to the Czech government.

The Saeul Nuclear Power Plant currently uses cutting-edge APR-1400 pressurized water reactors, developed by South Korea

The KHNP earlier proposed supplying the Czech Republic with APR-1000 models, which are based on the APR-1400 design.

If successful, it would mark the first time for South Korea to win an overseas nuclear power plant construction project since 2009, when Asia's No. 4 economy bagged the project to build the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates.

The KHNP aims to secure the Czech project, as a bridgehead for the European market, based on its price competitiveness and capabilities to complete the construction on time. (Yonhap)