The U.S. to Launch Working Groups on Nuclear-Powered Submarines and Uranium Enrichment, Accelerating Nuclear Cooperation with South Korea

[The Financial News] The United States is moving to begin working-level efforts to fully discuss cooperation with South Korea on nuclear-powered submarines and the expansion of rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel. A U.S. government delegation is expected to visit South Korea within weeks to implement the security agreements reached last year by Donald Trump and Lee Jae-myung, raising the possibility of a major turning point in U.S.-South Korea nuclear and security cooperation.
In a press release on the results of a meeting on the 19th local time between Allison Hooker, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Park Yoon-joo, Vice Foreign Minister, who was visiting the United States, the State Department said Hooker will lead a delegation from Trump administration agencies to South Korea in the coming weeks.
The State Department said Hooker's visit to South Korea is intended to launch bilateral working groups to carry out the agreements reached with Lee Jae-myung during Trump's visit to South Korea in October last year.
Earlier, during his visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in October last year, Trump met with Lee and reached agreements in the trade and security sectors. The joint fact sheet later released by the two countries included U.S. cooperation on South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines, as well as expanded rights for South Korea to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.
Until now, follow-up measures after the bilateral agreement had not been clearly defined, leading to questions about whether the commitments would actually be implemented. However, with the U.S. side now formally announcing plans to launch the working groups, analysts say discussions on nuclear submarines, enrichment, and reprocessing are likely to gain momentum.
The State Department also said the two vice ministers discussed ways to develop the ROK-US Alliance, including security and economic cooperation, as well as regional and global issues.
In particular, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and other global sea lanes. As tensions between the United States and Iran have recently escalated, the two countries also maintained their stance of cooperation on maritime security in the Middle East.
The State Department emphasized that the ROK-US Alliance is "the linchpin of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region," and said the United States reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea's defense, including its pledge of extended deterrence.
The U.S. side also raised expectations for expanded trade and industrial cooperation, while stressing the need for fair treatment of U.S. companies and the swift removal of barriers to market access. Alongside broader security cooperation, Washington is also continuing to press trade issues.
After arriving in the United States the previous day, Park met with Hooker on the same day and is scheduled to meet Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State, on the 20th. He will then hold a briefing with the South Korean press corps to explain the results of his visit.


km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter