Nuclear Power Shift: Can South Korea and the U.S. Rewrite the Rules?

The two countries will hold their first talks to implement the security agreements reached between the leaders—covering nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment and reprocessing—on June 2 in Seoul. Revising or adjusting the U.S.-ROK nuclear cooperation agreement to secure nuclear fuel is expected to be the biggest hurdle.

On May 29, the Foreign Ministry said the two sides will convene a launch meeting in Seoul on June 2–3 to negotiate follow-up security measures from the joint fact sheet issued after the U.S.-ROK summit. Officials had initially expected the first meeting in mid-June but moved it up during scheduling.

The negotiating teams will address security items in the joint fact sheet, including construction of nuclear-powered submarines, securing authority to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and cooperation in shipbuilding. Because South Korea will need to revise or adjust the U.S.-ROK nuclear cooperation agreement to obtain the fuel required for nuclear-powered submarines, officials expect difficult negotiations on this point.

The government’s recent basic plan for nuclear-powered submarines states it will use low-enriched uranium with enrichment below 20%. Under the current nuclear cooperation agreement, which runs through 2035, South Korea may enrich uranium below 20% only with U.S. consent, and reprocessing of spent fuel remains prohibited. The government says it aims, if the two countries reach an agreement, to secure capabilities comparable to Japan’s—authorization to enrich above 20% and the right to reprocess spent fuel. Because revising the U.S.-ROK nuclear agreement would require approval from the U.S. Congress, observers expect Seoul and Washington will likely pursue adjustments through a special arrangement appended to the existing pact.

While first meetings typically serve as introductions, the South Korean government intends to move quickly into substantive negotiations from the outset. The initial meeting was delayed by more than six months after the joint fact sheet—due in part to delays in passing a special foreign investment law, issues surrounding Coupang, and the conflict involving Iran. The government says working-level teams on both sides have continued discussions during that period, so it expects consultations to proceed rapidly.

The State Department also announced that a delegation led by Assistant Secretary Allison Hooker will visit South Korea. The department said Assistant Secretary Hooker will lead an interagency delegation to advance the nuclear cooperation framework outlined at last October’s U.S.-ROK summit, and added that the U.S.-ROK alliance remains a central pillar for peace and security across the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

South Korea’s interagency delegation will include First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yun-ju and officials from the Blue House National Security Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. The U.S. delegation will include Assistant Secretary Hooker and officials from the White House National Security Council, the State Department, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.