South Korea and U.S. Discuss Nuclear Submarine and Enrichment Agreements

On June 5, the Blue House announced that South Korea and the United States have resumed discussions on security agreements related to the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and the acquisition of rights for uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. A senior official from the Blue House described the recent talks as "very productive and beneficial."

During a briefing with reporters at the Chunchugwan, the official stated, "We will accelerate the discussion process and aim to achieve concrete results by the end of the year."

The official noted that representatives from various sectors participated in discussions regarding enrichment reprocessing and nuclear submarines, as well as umbrella (nuclear umbrella) agreements. "We intend to expedite discussions to make progress," the official added.

Regarding nuclear submarines, the official emphasized, "There has been no significant change regarding the construction of nuclear submarines in South Korea. This issue has been discussed under the same premise, and there are no plans for a reconfiguration of this matter."

The official also mentioned that amending the Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement would require new frameworks for enrichment reprocessing and nuclear submarines. "We aim to reach necessary agreements and make adjustments as needed to facilitate progress," the official stated.

The discussions on nuclear submarines and enrichment reprocessing are based on South Korea's commitment to denuclearization, and there are no additional denuclearization conditions, the official clarified. "We must, of course, uphold our denuclearization commitments and seek further cooperation with the United States on that basis," the official concluded.