Foreign Ministry Says Enrichment and Reprocessing Are Purely Commercial, Entirely Unrelated to Nuclear Armament Arguments

The South Korean government has explained that the expansion of South Korea's rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel is "entirely unrelated to nuclear latency or arguments for nuclear armament," after concerns were raised in the U.S. Congress.

On the 9th, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Securing our enrichment and reprocessing capabilities is purely for economic and commercial purposes, and is intended to strengthen our energy security as a country that ranks fifth in the world in nuclear power generation," offering this explanation.

Previously, four Democratic Party senators in the United States - Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, and Ron Wyden - were reported to have sent a letter on January 30 (local time) to President Donald Trump stating that "providing South Korea with potential nuclear capabilities would undermine U.S. nonproliferation efforts." They also argued that "South Korea has shown interest in nuclear weapons since the 1970s, and former President Yoon Suk Yeol has mentioned that South Korea might have to pursue nuclear weapons to deter North Korea."

In accordance with an agreement reached between the leaders of South Korea and the United States in November last year, the United States decided to support procedures for the "civilian enrichment of uranium and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for South Korea's peaceful use," but opposition has now emerged in Congress. It is also reported that a negative stance among nonproliferation advocates within the U.S. government, including the Department of Energy, remains unchanged.

However, the South Korean government has consistently emphasized that securing South Korea's rights to enrichment and reprocessing is for purely commercial purposes. The Foreign Ministry official said, "We explained to the U.S. side that, as a member state of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we will strictly comply with relevant norms and communicate transparently with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and others," adding, "The two sides (South Korea and the United States) agreed to continue close communication on the matter."