South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Seoul on April 15 to discuss Seoul's nuclear-powered submarine program—stemming from last year's summits with the United States—and North Korea's nuclear activities. Cho reaffirmed commitment to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations, earning Grossi's praise for South Korea's 'full and unambiguous' nonproliferation efforts.
Cho pledged ongoing coordination with the IAEA on the nuclear-powered submarine project, which includes civilian uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities under a US-South Korea summit agreement. This follows bilateral talks, including a recent reaffirmation with the US Energy Secretary on swift implementation.
At a press conference, Grossi stated he was assured by Cho that 'the ROK will maintain its nuclear nonproliferation commitments to the full.' He emphasized 'ironclad' guarantees separating the submarines from nuclear weapons development, advanced via IAEA safeguards, and described the meeting as a 'kickoff' for discussions.
On North Korea, Cho outlined Seoul's push to end peninsula hostilities and build peaceful coexistence. Grossi expressed support, noting no evidence of Russian nuclear tech transfers to Pyongyang and the IAEA's continued technical role despite no inspections since 2009.
