Korea-U.S. to Hold Additional Talks on Nuclear Submarines and Uranium Enrichment; First Round of Meetings Concludes in Two to Three Days

S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, left, and a U. S. interagency delegation made up of officials from the White House National Security Council, the State Department, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno District, Seoul, on the 2nd for an inaugural meeting on follow-up measures to the security section of the joint fact sheet agreed at the Korea-U.
S. summit. Newsis News Agency [The Financial News] The Korea-U. S.
follow-up working-level talks on securing South Korea's own nuclear-powered submarine and civilian nuclear fuel, which are expected to be the biggest security and energy achievements of the Lee Jae-myung administration, are likely to be held several more times. The delegations from the two countries held an inaugural meeting on the 2nd and 3rd at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno District, Seoul, to discuss follow-up measures in the security section of the Joint Fact Sheet from the Korea-U. S. Summit.
A MOFA official said, "Once the enforcement decree for the Special Act for Korea-U. S. Strategic Investment Management takes effect on the 18th, there will be more advanced consultations between Korea and the United States. " The official added, "Based on the outcome of these talks, the two delegations will meet as often as possible to continue consultations.
" Through the follow-up talks, Korea and the United States must also revise the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement and conclude a separate agreement related to the U. S. Energy Policy Act.
It will not be easy to immediately lift the restrictions on uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing that are tied to the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement through the two days of talks in Seoul. Allison Hooker, who led the U. S.
negotiating team and visited Seoul, wrote on X after meeting with Yeondoo Jeong, head of the Bureau of Diplomatic Strategy and Intelligence at MOFA, that "as allies, it is very important to closely coordinate our respective approaches and policies toward North Korea. " Hooker also expressed optimism before the bilateral talks, saying, "We look forward to deepening and modernizing our cooperation, and we expect continued progress across the bilateral relationship in the years ahead. " There is also hope that some issues could be settled quickly after this inaugural meeting.
If that happens, the Lee Jae-myung administration's nuclear energy and security policies are expected to gain further momentum. A MOFA official said, "In the case of the nuclear fuel used in the reactor for a nuclear-powered submarine, we are considering a method of bringing it in from the United States. " The official added, "As for the military use of nuclear fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, a separate agreement is required under U.
S. energy law. " For this meeting, the two countries assembled large, cross-ministerial negotiating teams.
On the South Korean side, a government-wide delegation attended, including First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo and officials from the Office of National Security at the Blue House, MOFA, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. The U. S.
delegation included Hooker, along with Evan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia at the NSC; David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department; Christopher Klein, assistant secretary for arms control and nonproliferation at the State Department; Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration; and James Heller, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the United States to the Republic of Korea.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter