Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced on Wednesday his ministry's commitment to advance discussions with the United States regarding the establishment of conditions necessary to build nuclear-powered submarines. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to secure the rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho emphasized the foreign ministry's focus on a "virtuous cycle" of self-reliance, alliance, and solidarity in the latter half of the year during a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung. The ministry aims to facilitate consultations to secure the conditions required for the nuclear submarine project and foster an environment conducive to pursuing uranium enrichment and fuel reprocessing.
Cho highlighted efforts to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, particularly in strategic areas such as shipbuilding, while maintaining close coordination with Washington on economic and trade matters. On the topic of North Korea, he stated that the ministry seeks to establish groundwork for peaceful coexistence with the North in collaboration with multilateral organizations like the United Nations. Additionally, the ministry plans to work with Washington to revive dialogue with Pyongyang, aiming to restart denuclearization talks through a phased approach.
Further, Cho mentioned the ministry's plans to deepen diplomatic ties with the Group of Seven, NATO, and ASEAN, while expanding diplomatic channels through upcoming summits with Central Asian nations. During a media briefing, Cho noted that "high-level consultations" between Seoul and Washington on key security issues, including revising the Korea-U.S. nuclear energy agreement, will occur "soon."
The planned consultations are part of a broader agenda that includes Seoul's investment commitments in the U.S. and bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding, as outlined in a joint fact sheet adopted after last year's summit between President Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump. Although no official consultations have taken place yet, Cho confirmed ongoing working-level discussions.
Cho also pointed to potential opportunities to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly high-level session in September and the APEC meeting in November in China. Regarding South Korea's potential contribution to security in the Strait of Hormuz, Cho stated that plans, such as the dispatch of mine-clearance vessels, are on hold due to the deteriorating situation there. He affirmed that should the conflict subside, the government would engage in consultations.