Government responds to concerns about weakening momentum for ROK-US security cooperation: “Implementation of JFS is a common goal”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Min Seon-hee = As concerns were raised that the momentum for security cooperation between Korea and the United States may weaken after the U.S. midterm elections, the government took action to address the issue, saying, "Both countries are maintaining the common goal of faithful implementation of the agreements."

Regarding former acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea Joseph Yun's remarks on the 11th that there is no agreement in Washington on Korea's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear cooperation, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "There may be differences in the speed of progress in discussions depending on the characteristics of each case."

In particular, this official added, "There is bipartisan support within the U.S. Congress for efforts to strengthen our own defense capabilities, and there is a consensus not only among the U.S. administration but also within the U.S. military that cooperation in civil nuclear energy is mutually beneficial."

The joint explanatory material (JFS) agreed upon by South Korea and the United States at the summit in November last year specified cooperation in securing Korea's nuclear-powered submarines and enriching and reprocessing nuclear fuel.

The intention is that the acquisition of nuclear submarines already has support from the United States and China in that it strengthens Korea's own defense capabilities, and enrichment and reprocessing are mutually beneficial.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The government will continue to closely consult with the U.S. administration to advance the agreements reached between the leaders of the ROK and the U.S., including the JFS, even after the U.S. midterm elections."

He added, "Based on the support for the ROK-US alliance that has been widely established over the past 70 years across the US, including the US administration, Congress, and academia, we will continue to make multifaceted efforts to solidify bipartisan support."

Former Acting Ambassador Yoon attended the ROK-US Diplomacy Forum held in Seoul the day before by video and predicted that it would not be easy to pursue Korea's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear energy cooperation, saying, "There is no agreement in Washington."

In particular, as the Democratic Party, which traditionally values ​​nuclear non-proliferation, won both the House and Senate in the recent U.S. midterm elections, concerns are being raised that follow-up discussions on security issues between Korea and the U.S., such as securing nuclear-powered submarines and uranium enrichment and reprocessing, may be disrupted.

Since the announcement of the JFS last year, there has been no significant progress in security discussions between Korea and the United States other than one working meeting held in June of this year. Additionally, there are observations that negotiations may become more complicated as the Democratic Party secures leadership in Congress.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun had a separate meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the occasion of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Paris, France the previous day, and agreed to closely cooperate for the development of relations between the two countries, including progress in the agreement between the leaders.