South Korea's National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac on Tuesday met visiting US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in Seoul, welcoming the launch of follow-up negotiations on a security agreement struck by the two countries' leaders last year. The talks mark the first high-level consultations on Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, expand uranium enrichment rights, and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.

What the Blue House said

'We hope that two days of productive talks will help accelerate progress on the matter,' Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release. It added that 'both sides reaffirmed the ROK-US alliance as a central pillar of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific, and pledged to maintain close dialogue and cooperation on regional developments, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.'

Key items on the agenda

The two sides are believed to have discussed Seoul's push to secure greater authority to enrich uranium, reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful uses, and acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The discussions could also cover the allies' plan to transfer wartime operational control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul.

Hooker arrived in South Korea on Monday leading a US delegation, as the allies began follow-up talks on an agreement reached by President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in October. Uranium reprocessing is expected to dominate the Wednesday session.

Why the talks matter

'The meeting carries significance in that long-delayed security consultations have finally begun and are back on track,' foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing. 'Cooperation and partnership between South Korea and the US in the nuclear sector will help deepen and broaden the bilateral alliance,' he added, stressing Seoul's commitment to fully implementing the agreed-upon issues.

Building nuclear-powered submarines has long been prohibited under the bilateral nuclear pact between Seoul and Washington, making any breakthrough a structural shift in the alliance. Wednesday's session is expected to focus on uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing — capabilities Seoul says are essential to fuel its envisioned submarine fleet.

The wider package

Other agenda items include expanding shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries. The joint fact sheet, published in November, outlines commitments across the nuclear sector and other security tracks, alongside Seoul's pledge to invest USD 350 billion in the US in exchange for a reduced US tariff rate.

Who is at the table

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo led the South Korean delegation, which included officials from the presidential office and the defence, science and industry ministries. The US delegation, led by Hooker, included Ivan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, and Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for defence nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration, along with officials from the Department of Energy and related agencies.

What's next

The two-day inaugural format is expected to set the cadence for further rounds. With nuclear propulsion, enrichment rights, and operational control all on the table, the next phase will test how far Washington is willing to rewrite a decades-old non-proliferation framework with a treaty ally.