Seoul: South Korea and the United States are set to initiate formal discussions next week to implement security agreements established between their leaders. This development was confirmed by Seoul's foreign ministry on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a kickoff meeting is scheduled to occur in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday. This meeting will set the stage for follow-up consultations regarding the security-related elements of the joint fact sheet published in November, following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. Key topics on the agenda include Seoul's plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities for peaceful purposes. Additionally, there will be discussions on expanding shipbuilding cooperation between the two nations.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo will head South Korea's delegation, which will comprise officials from the presidential office, as well as the defense, science, and industry ministries. The U.S. delegation will be led by Allison Hooker, U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs, and will include officials from the White House National Security Council, the Department of State, the Department of Energy, and other agencies. The joint fact sheet outlines various commitments from both sides, including security-related issues and Seoul's US$350 billion investment promise to the U.S. in exchange for a lower U.S. tariff rate.
The kickoff meeting was initially expected to occur earlier this year but was postponed due to Washington's focus on priorities such as the Middle East conflict and concerns about delays in Seoul's legislative process for its investment pledge. Additionally, there were issues surrounding an investigation into the e-commerce giant Coupang over a significant data breach.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun mentioned in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday that Seoul aims to expedite revisions to its civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with the U.S. to permit uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The goal is also to advance nuclear-powered submarines and shipbuilding cooperation. Cho emphasized that both sides are working closely to ensure that the inaugural meeting leads to substantive progress.