South Korea and U.S. End First Day of Nuclear Submarine Security Talks

South Korea and the United States completed the first day of two-day security talks on June 2 focused on implementing agreements reached at an October summit between their leaders. The discussions addressed Seoul's interest in acquiring nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines, a topic previously restricted under a bilateral nuclear pact.

Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo led the South Korean side, which included officials from the presidential office and the defense, science, and industry ministries. The U.S. delegation was headed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and included officials from the National Security Council, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Department of Energy.

On the first day, the two sides discussed provisions related to nuclear-powered submarines. Wednesday's session is scheduled to cover uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, and expanded shipbuilding cooperation.

The talks stem from a joint fact sheet issued after the October summit that outlined nuclear-sector cooperation and Seoul's pledge to invest US$350 billion in the United States. The inaugural meeting had been delayed from earlier in the year. Officials said working-level discussions continued during the delay and substantive talks are expected to advance quickly.

Hooker posted on X that she was pleased to launch the discussions to advance bilateral nuclear cooperation initiatives and expressed hope for further deepening of the relationship. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said last week that South Korea seeks to revise the bilateral nuclear energy pact as soon as possible to allow uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing.

Last week, Seoul also released a roadmap targeting the launch of its first nuclear-powered attack submarine in the mid-2030s.