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U.S. and South Korea Begin Interagency Talks on Nuclear Submarines and Fuel-Cycle Rights

The talks aim to translate summit pledges into concrete nuclear cooperation programs that set conditions for any OPCON transfer.

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South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (R) and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker shake hands prior to their talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on June 2, 2026, to launch their first round of talks to implement a set of security agreements reached by their leaders last year, in this photo released by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • The inaugural two-day working meeting opened in Seoul on Tuesday and was led by South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and U.S. Under Secretary Allison Hooker.
  • Delegations moved quickly from ceremony to substance, with Day One focused on nuclear-powered submarines and Day Two centering on uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing for civilian use.
  • Seoul is pressing for an accelerated transfer of wartime operational control with some officials targeting completion before 2030, while U.S. military and civilian leaders stress a conditions-based approach tied to readiness.
  • Officials and analysts say the talks were delayed for months because Washington was occupied with the Middle East conflict and raised concerns about Seoul’s delayed investment pledge and the Coupang probe, factors that have dented mutual trust.
  • Negotiators must now map changes to the 123 nuclear pact and move issues through military bodies such as the PMC, MCM and SCM, a process that will shape South Korea’s defense autonomy, its nuclear-export prospects, and the future balance of the alliance.