According to Yonhap News, South Korea's National Security Office Director Lee Sun-wook stated on the 20th that during his visit to Washington, USA from the 16th to 17th, South Korea and the United States reached an agreement to advance consultations in various fields aimed at implementing the consensus of the summit between the two heads of state starting next year, including the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, uranium enrichment, and spent fuel reprocessing.
During his trip to the US, Lee met with high-level officials such as US Secretary of State Rubio and Energy Secretary Wright. He later visited Canada and disclosed the above content to the media on the 20th.
When asked about the priority order for implementing the consensus between the South Korean and US leaders, Lee said there was no so-called sequence, and all issues would be initiated simultaneously, including uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, and matters related to nuclear-powered submarines, all planned to be advanced synchronously from the beginning of next year. For this, the South Korean National Security Office has established a "Submarine Work Group" and an "Uranium Enrichment Affairs Work Group". Once the US side determines the relevant department, both sides are expected to immediately start negotiations.
Lee Sun-wook, photo. Yonhap News
Lee Sun-wook said that the overall progress of the South Korean-US cooperation is smooth, and the US side also referred to the South Korean-US alliance as a "model alliance." He said he hopes to accelerate subsequent measures under this positive atmosphere.
Regarding the issue of building a nuclear-powered submarine, Lee introduced that South Korea and the United States have reached a consensus on the transfer of military nuclear materials based on Article 91 of the US Atomic Energy Act, and decided to sign a separate bilateral agreement for this purpose. This move aims to break through the restrictions on the transfer of military nuclear materials in the current South Korean-US Atomic Energy Agreement, and resolve it by reaching an agreement separately. This approach is similar to how Australia promoted the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines within the framework of the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-United States) security partnership.
Regarding the South Korean-US nuclear submarine cooperation, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiancong previously stated that China hopes the South Korean and US sides will truly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations and do things that promote regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite.
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing also pointed out that the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region remains complex and sensitive. The South Korean-US nuclear submarine cooperation goes beyond commercial cooperation and is more related to the global nuclear non-proliferation system and the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region. He hoped that South Korea would fully consider the concerns of all parties and handle the matter prudently.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7586321227201593908/
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