Seoul: South Korea and the United States engaged in discussions on Wednesday regarding the timeline for follow-up talks on South Korea's initiative to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights for uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes. This dialogue marked the culmination of a two-day meeting aimed at advancing agreements from an October summit between the leaders of the two nations last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the joint fact sheet from the summit highlights the U.S. commitment to supporting processes that facilitate uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing for civilian use. It also includes backing South Korea's ambition to construct conventionally armed nuclear-propelled submarines. The U.S. delegation, led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, arrived in Seoul on Monday to participate in these critical discussions.
The delegation included senior officials such as Ivan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council (NSC), and Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration. The two sides agreed on the necessity of producing tangible outcomes swiftly and establishing a mechanism to review progress, aiming to expedite future consultations.
A South Korean official revealed that the talks included discussions on potential timelines and broad directions for subsequent consultations. Plans are reportedly in place for the allies to hold the next round of discussions in Washington as early as next month.
Central to Wednesday's talks was the issue of permitting Seoul to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for civilian purposes, necessitating a revision of the 2015 nuclear energy cooperation pact between the allies. The existing agreement prohibits South Korea from these activities unless it secures U.S. consent through consultations and written agreements.
South Korea is reportedly seeking to amend the 123 Agreement, aiming for "advance consent" from the U.S., which would provide preapproved and long-term permission. Working-level discussions on these matters were expected to be the focal point, with officials from South Korea's National Security Office and the NSC leading the talks.
The discussions on Tuesday also addressed the nuclear-powered submarine program. In a social media post, Hooker mentioned her discussions with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, emphasizing progress on bilateral nuclear cooperation and the connection between economic security and national security.
The security talks experienced delays due to Seoul's legislative process for a planned US$350 billion investment in the U.S., another crucial element of the summit agreement. Additionally, growing U.S. concerns over perceived discriminatory treatment of U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. in South Korea have been cited as contributing factors to the slow progress in the security talks.