South Korea to Accelerate US Consultations on Nuclear Submarines, Uranium Enrichment, and OPCON Transfer

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Friday that South Korea plans to accelerate consultations with the United States to produce "tangible" results on key security issues, including nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, based on last year's summit agreements.

Cho made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Seoul to brief them on the outcomes of President Lee Jae Myung's summit diplomacy, including his latest meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last month.

"We will step up consultations with the U.S. to produce tangible results in areas including conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines, civilian uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes, shipbuilding cooperation and the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON),"; Cho said.

The security issues are among those covered by a joint fact sheet released in November last year following summit talks between Lee and Trump.

The document also outlined Seoul's broader US$350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. in exchange for lower U.S. tariffs on Korean goods. The allies announced details of planned $200 billion investment projects, including a gas-fired power plant in Texas, on Thursday.

Cho described the investment plan as "an important milestone in realizing the vision, agreed upon by Lee and Trump, of strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance."

"The investment projects will provide momentum for follow-up consultations on the areas covered by the joint fact sheet, including security issues,"; Cho added.

Seoul and Washington have been discussing revisions to their civil nuclear cooperation agreement, known as the 123 Agreement, to allow South Korea to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel. Seoul is also seeking U.S. support for its plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines.

The two countries have also been holding consultations on the OPCON transfer of South Korean troops from Washington and expanding bilateral shipbuilding cooperation as part of efforts to strengthen the alliance.