Cho Hyun Meets U.S. Energy Secretary, Stresses Need for Nuclear Fuel Enrichment and Reprocessing

While visiting New York, United States, to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun met with the United States Secretary of Energy on the 25th (local time) and emphasized the need to secure a "complete nuclear fuel cycle," including enrichment and reprocessing, from the perspective of energy security.

On the afternoon of the 25th (local time), Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chris Wright, United States Secretary of Energy, along with other South Korea-US officials, held a meeting in New York, USA. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 26th, Minister Cho held a meeting with Chris Wright, United States Secretary of Energy, and exchanged views on bilateral nuclear cooperation. Minister Cho explained the necessity of securing such a nuclear fuel cycle as a country operating 26 nuclear power plants, stressing that this is solely for "commercial purposes" to ensure the stable operation of nuclear power plants. This clarification appears to be aimed at preventing any interpretation that the discussion on revising the agreement could be linked to the "independent nuclear armament" argument raised by some political circles.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Secretary Wright took note of Minister Cho's request and stated that he would discuss the matter with relevant departments within the U.S. administration.

With demand for nuclear power plant construction rising significantly not only in the U.S. market but also internationally, both ministers agreed on the need to capitalize on these opportunities through partnerships between South Korean and U.S. companies. They recalled that meaningful discussions to expand nuclear cooperation took place during the South Korea-U.S. summit in August and agreed that both governments would continue consultations to develop concrete measures for further cooperation.

Additionally, both governments agreed to enhance communication and cooperation at the governmental level to further promote collaboration between nuclear power companies in both countries.