Washington: South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reaffirmed the necessity for swift progress in South Korea's pursuit of civil uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing rights, and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, as stated by the foreign ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho met with Wright in Washington to address a range of issues, including the implementation of a joint fact sheet (JFS) released by the two governments in November. This document outlines trade and security agreements from two summits held in August and October between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The JFS includes the United States' approval for South Korea to construct nuclear-powered attack submarines and its support for a process that will enable South Korea's civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes. "The two sides reaffirmed a shared understanding of the need to swiftly make concrete progress vis-a-vis the enrichment and reprocessing segment and cooperation over nuclear-powered submarines, which are part of the JFS," the ministry mentioned in a press release.

Both parties agreed to promptly initiate earnest working-level consultations to advance these objectives. Cho expressed anticipation that the collaboration between Seoul and Washington will further bolster strategic nuclear energy cooperation, particularly in the enrichment and reprocessing area. Wright pledged active cooperation to help achieve tangible progress in this domain, as per the ministry's statement.

Additionally, both sides committed to maintaining close communication and cooperation to promote civil nuclear energy collaboration, including exploring joint business opportunities in third countries.