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[Herald Economy = Reporter Mun Hye-hyun] South Korea and the United States launched formal talks June 2 to implement security commitments tied to the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and expanded uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing authorities.
The two delegations convened a kick-off meeting at the Seoul Government Complex annex that morning to begin follow-up security measures under the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS) from the U.S.-ROK summit. The session is scheduled to run through June 3.
Leading the South Korean team, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-ju headed an interagency delegation that included officials from the presidential National Security Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.
The U.S. delegation, led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, included representatives from the White House National Security Council, the State Department, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. They arrived in Seoul the day before the meeting. Vice Minister Park and Under Secretary Hooker co-chaired the kick-off session, after which each country’s national security offices led focused, sector-by-sector discussions.
Because the U.S. team postponed a planned January visit over the situation in the Middle East, both sides said they intend for this meeting to produce concrete agreements rather than serve as a courtesy visit. Working-level teams reportedly held ongoing talks in the run-up to the meeting to prepare for detailed negotiations.
Officials likely covered a broad agenda: South Korea’s plans to build nuclear-powered submarines; authority over uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing; and bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding. Seoul is aiming to revise the U.S.-ROK nuclear cooperation agreement to secure the right to build and operate domestic uranium-enrichment facilities for peaceful and commercial purposes and to gain authority to reprocess nuclear fuel.
Addressing U.S. nonproliferation concerns will be a prerequisite. The South Korean government has repeatedly emphasized that pursuing nuclear-powered submarines and enrichment and reprocessing rights will not lead to nuclear weapons development. Observers say the talks likely included detailed verification and monitoring measures designed to demonstrate compliance with nonproliferation commitments.
After finishing the June 3 sessions, both sides are expected to announce initial outcomes. Officials are unlikely to release detailed conclusions until final decisions are made, so the announcement will probably offer a summary of agreed steps and a plan to regularize working-level consultations. A formal dinner hosted by Vice Minister Park is planned for later.
There is also a possibility of a bilateral meeting between Vice Minister Park and Under Secretary Hooker. If that meeting occurs, they are expected to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and other global issues.
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