The U.S. is set to dispatch a government delegation to South Korea as early as the end of this month. The delegation will discuss follow-up measures on agreements reached between the two nations’ leaders, including South Korea’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, U.S.-Korea nuclear cooperation, and shipbuilding collaboration.
During a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il stated that the U.S. side has expressed its commitment to expediting the delegation’s visit, aiming for February if possible. They’re currently finalizing the specific dates for the visit.
Park elaborated that following Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s visit to the U.S., both countries have agreed to swiftly and effectively implement the commitments outlined in the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS) from the summit. It anticipates in-depth discussions on these areas when the U.S. delegation arrives.
Sources indicate that the U.S. has assembled a comprehensive government delegation capable of addressing nuclear cooperation, nuclear submarines, and shipbuilding matters simultaneously. The team includes representatives from the White House National Security Council (NSC), State Department, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense.
A Foreign Ministry official, speaking to reporters, explained that while there’s a possibility the visit could be pushed to mid-March due to scheduling conflicts, both the U.S. and South Korea recognize the urgency of face-to-face discussions on these critical issues.
The official continued that they’re exploring various formats for these talks. It might address all issues in a single meeting or divide them into separate sessions for nuclear cooperation, nuclear submarines, and shipbuilding. It is also considering having the U.S. delegation visit the Foreign Ministry and Defense Department separately.
Addressing concerns about potential linkages between tariff negotiations and security discussions, the Foreign Ministry stated that while resolving tariff issues could create a more favorable atmosphere, security talks won’t be halted if tariff matters remain unresolved. The U.S. has repeatedly emphasized its intention to engage in substantive discussions during this visit, not just introductory meetings.
Earlier, during a parliamentary Q&A session on political, diplomatic, unification, and security matters, Minister Cho confirmed that a U.S. delegation representing various departments will visit Korea in February. They’ve agreed to expedite negotiations on three key issues: nuclear cooperation, nuclear submarines, and shipbuilding.
To implement the agreements reached between the South Korean and U.S. leaders, the South Korean government has established two task forces: a U.S.-Korea Nuclear Cooperation Government Task Force led by the Foreign Ministry and a Nuclear Submarine Government Task Force under the Defense Ministry. Initially, the U.S. negotiating team had planned to visit in January, but the schedule was delayed due to disagreements over tariff issues between the two countries.
