South Korea and the United States commenced high-profile discussions to address security agreements established by their leaders, including South Korea’s interest in acquiring nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines. The first day of talks concentrated on security-related provisions outlined in a joint fact sheet following a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in October, as per the South Korean foreign ministry.
The talks, which mark the initiation of long-postponed security consultations, are deemed significant and back on course, stated foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il during a press briefing, as reported by Yonhap news agency. Emphasizing the importance of cooperation and partnership in the nuclear sector between South Korea and the US, Park Il highlighted the government’s dedication to fully executing the agreed-upon matters.
During the initial day of discussions, the focus was on issues concerning South Korea’s aspiration to develop nuclear-powered submarines, a move restricted by a bilateral nuclear agreement between Seoul and Washington. The agenda for the following day is expected to center on additional security matters, including Seoul’s uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities essential for fueling its envisioned nuclear submarines.
Further topics on the agenda for the security talks involve enhancing shipbuilding collaboration between South Korea and the US. The joint fact sheet, released in November, delineates various commitments by both nations, encompassing cooperation in the nuclear domain and other security-related affairs, along with Seoul’s commitment to invest USD 350 billion in the US in return for a reduced US tariff rate.
The South Korean delegation, led by First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, comprised officials from the presidential office, defense, science, and industry ministries. The US delegation, headed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, included Ivan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council (NSC), Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration, and other officials from the Department of Energy and related agencies.
