US and South Korea Begin Talks on Nuclear Submarines, Uranium Enrichment and Security Agreements

South Korea and the United States will begin formal negotiations this week to carry out security agreements reached between their leaders last year. The first two-day session opens Tuesday at the foreign ministry in Seoul and will address security items listed in the joint fact sheet issued in November after the October summit between President Lee Jae Myung and President Donald Trump.

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo will head the South Korean side, which includes officials from the presidential office and the defense, science and industry ministries.

U.S. delegation, led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, was scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Monday and also draws officials from the White House National Security Council, the Department of State and the Department of Energy. Park Yoon-joo and Hooker had met previously on May 19 at the State Department in Washington.

The agenda includes Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines, efforts to obtain uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities for civilian use, and expanded shipbuilding cooperation. U.S. tariff rate.

The opening round had been expected earlier in 2026 but was postponed while Washington addressed the Middle East conflict and while Seoul dealt with legislative delays on the investment pledge and a data-breach investigation into the South Korean unit of Coupang Inc. U.S. officials are also scheduled to meet separately with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

"The stance shared by both sides is to start right into working-level consultations," a ministry official said.