US, South Korea hold nuclear cooperation talks in Seoul

The United States and South Korea held bilateral consultations on nuclear cooperation in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department said.

The meetings were opened by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, followed by sector-specific discussions with interagency representatives from both sides, the department said in a statement.

“Both sides committed to work towards delivering tangible outcomes as quickly as possible to establish milestones for reviewing progress throughout the year and to accelerate future consultations,” it said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, key agenda items included Seoul’s push to build nuclear-powered submarines, secure the right to enrich uranium, and expand shipbuilding cooperation between the two sides.

The consultations follow a joint fact sheet issued by US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in November, in which Washington supported a process that could allow South Korea to pursue civil uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses.