Cho Hyun: "High-Level Talks on Follow-up South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Agreement to Be Held Soon"

On August 5, Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that a high-level negotiation is scheduled to take place soon regarding follow-up consultations between South Korea and the United States on expanding uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing rights.

Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is giving a follow-up briefing on the 2026 second half work report at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Doryeom-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on August 5, 2026. Photo by Cho Yongjun

During a briefing held at the annex building of the Central Government Complex in Seoul that day, Minister Cho said, “Uranium enrichment and reprocessing are major diplomatic priorities that we are focusing on,” explaining the importance of the issue.

He added, “While there have not been any additional official negotiations since the last round, working-level consultations have been continuously taking place.”

Minister Cho further announced that security consultations between South Korea and the United States would be pursued on the occasion of the high-level week at the United Nations General Assembly in September and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in November, which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to attend. He mentioned, “There will likely be opportunities to meet even before APEC, and if necessary, we intend to proactively create such opportunities to advance the discussions.”

In early June, South Korea and the United States held their first official consultation in Seoul to discuss follow-up measures in the security sector as outlined in the Joint Fact Sheet following the summit. Key agenda items included expanding rights for uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, and securing nuclear submarine fuel. However, no subsequent high-level consultation schedule has been confirmed since then.

Minister Cho mentioned the situation in the Middle East as a factor delaying the follow-up talks, but stressed that issues between the two countries, such as Korean investment in the United States and the Coupang matter, should be managed promptly. He stated, “Various situations, including the war in the Middle East, have delayed high-level meetings. Although I do not believe that Korean investments in the United States have been an obstacle, the need to move those forward quickly remains.”

Regarding the Coupang issue, he said, “It does not directly affect the negotiations, but we are working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.” He continued, “About three weeks ago, Kang Kyungwha, the Ambassador to the United States, briefly returned to Korea to discuss countermeasures with relevant ministries, and we arranged for a comprehensive plan to be explained to the U.S. side in advance. If needed, we have also decided that related agencies will make direct contact with each other to address issues between the two countries.”

On the impact that the recent U.S.-Saudi Arabia nuclear cooperation agreement might have on South Korea-U.S. consultations, Minister Cho said that analysis and assessment are currently underway. He stated, “While we have received some information from the United States, it is not sufficient. We plan to review it more closely through existing frameworks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.