South Korea and the United States launched their first round of security talks on Tuesday to implement agreements reached by their leaders last year, including Seoul's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
The two-day inaugural talks began at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul, focusing on security-related provisions in a bilateral joint fact sheet issued after the October summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. Key agenda items include Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, secure the right to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and expand shipbuilding cooperation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said the meeting carries significance as long-delayed consultations have begun and are back on track. U.S. Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker wrote on X that she was pleased to launch discussions to advance bilateral nuclear cooperation initiatives. The South Korean delegation is led by First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, while the U.S. side is headed by Hooker and includes officials from the National Security Council and the Department of Energy. The kickoff meeting had been expected earlier this year but was delayed due to other U.S. priorities, including the Middle East conflict. Discussions on Wednesday are expected to focus on uranium enrichment issues.
