South Korea and the United States held two-day working-level consultations in Seoul on June 2-3, 2026, to discuss nuclear cooperation, focusing on South Korea’s plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines [1, 2]. The talks centered on South Korea seeking rights to enrich uranium below 20% and to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, activities restricted under the current bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement valid until 2035 [1, 2].
The US delegation was led by Undersecretary of State Allison Hooker, while First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo headed the South Korean team [1, 2]. Both sides agreed to create a mechanism to regularly review progress throughout the year and to accelerate consultations aiming for tangible results. The US State Department said, "Both sides committed to work towards delivering tangible outcomes as quickly as possible to establish milestones for reviewing progress throughout the year and to accelerate future consultations" [2].
Discussions also covered expanding cooperation in bilateral shipbuilding, which may complement nuclear submarine ambitions [2]. These consultations follow a joint fact sheet issued in November 2025 by US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung affirming support for peaceful nuclear cooperation [1, 2].
A second round of talks is expected as early as July 2026 to continue progress on these issues [1].
