The inaugural security consultation between the United States and South Korea opened Tuesday in Seoul, with senior officials from both countries launching formal talks on Seoul’s ambition to build nuclear-powered submarines and revise the bilateral agreement that currently prohibits South Korean uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.
The two-day meeting is the first high-level session of a new bilateral consultative body created after a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October, according to a joint fact sheet published in November. The talks had been delayed as Washington focused on other priorities including the conflict in the Middle East, and the U.S. had also raised concerns over delays in Seoul’s legislative process for its $350 billion investment pledge and a probe into the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. over a data breach.
“The meeting carries significance in that long-delayed security consultations have finally begun and are back on track,” South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing. “Cooperation and partnership between South Korea and the U.S. in the nuclear sector will help deepen and broaden the bilateral alliance.”
The first day of talks centered on South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines, a capability prohibited under the U.S.-South Korea civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, known as the 123 Agreement. On Wednesday, the two sides are expected to discuss related security issues including Seoul’s ability to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel — capabilities needed to supply fuel for its envisioned submarine fleet.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency last week that Seoul seeks to revise the 123 Agreement “as soon as possible” to enable those activities. Last week, South Korea unveiled a road map for developing nuclear-powered attack submarines fueled by low-enriched uranium, with the first vessel targeted for launch in the mid-2030s.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo led the South Korean delegation, which included officials from the presidential office and the defense, science and industry ministries. The U.S. delegation was led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and included Ivan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council; Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration; and officials from the Department of Energy.
In a post on X, Hooker said she was “pleased” to launch the discussions “to advance bilateral nuclear cooperation initiatives” and expressed hope for “further deepening and modernizing our cooperation” and “continued progress across the bilateral relationship in the years to come.”
Hooker also held a separate meeting Tuesday with Jeong Yeon-doo, Seoul’s vice foreign minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, to exchange views on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual interest, according to the ministry. She was scheduled to meet with Cho and other senior officials.
Other agenda items for the new security talks include the expansion of shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries. The November joint fact sheet also outlined Seoul’s pledge to invest $350 billion in the U.S. in exchange for a reduced U.S. tariff rate.