A stake that small would likely leave the country without a seat on the U.S. reactor maker's board.
Seoul had pushed for a board seat and voting rights, hoping to improve on the terms it accepted in its Czech reactor deal and gain an edge in future overseas bids.
The stake is part of a plan to build eight large reactors in the U.S. under the US$200 billion strategic portion of South Korea's $350 billion investment pledge.
Seoul had proposed six Westinghouse AP1000 units and two homegrown APR1400s, but the domestic model has barely been discussed, according to the sources.
The Alaska liquefied natural gas project, a signature priority of U.S. President Donald Trump, has emerged as another sticking point.
It would pipe gas about 1,300 kilometers from the North Slope to near Anchorage, and its steep upfront costs have long clouded its commercial prospects.
"Looking at the details, there are parts that are not easy to agree to, so we are discussing them again," President Lee Jae Myung also said during his press conference last Friday. "We only do projects that are commercially reasonable."
The trade ministry is set to brief the parliamentary committee behind closed doors on Tuesday, before a memorandum of understanding could be signed as early as Wednesday, according to ruling Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers.
But pundits say the timeline could still slip if remaining differences are not settled.
AJP Takeaways
- Washington is seeking to limit South Korea's stake in Westinghouse Electric to about 7 percent, below the 15 to 20 percent Seoul sought to secure board participation, political sources said on Sept. 21, 2026.
- The stake is linked to a plan to build eight large U.S. reactors under the $200 billion strategic portion of Korea's $350 billion U.S. investment pledge, with the Korean APR1400 model largely sidelined in talks.
- The Korean government is set to brief the National Assembly on Sept. 22, 2026, with a memorandum of understanding possibly signed as early as Sept. 23.
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