South Korea’s Lee asks Trump to revise decades-old nuclear pact
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) told US President Donald Trump he wasn’t attempting to build submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
PHOTO: EPA
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GYEONGJU, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked US President Donald Trump to allow Seoul to get supplies of nuclear fuel for submarines and to revise a decades-old nuclear energy agreement as the two leaders met on Oct 29 in Gyeongju.
“If we could secure approval for nuclear fuel supply, we would be able – using our own technology – to build several conventionally armed submarines,” Mr Lee said.
“They could patrol and defend both the East and West Seas of the Korean Peninsula, which in turn would significantly reduce the operational burden on US forces.”
The South Korean leader emphasised he wasn’t attempting to build submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but instead looking to replace diesel-powered ships that have struggled to track North Korean and Chinese ships.
Under the 123 Agreement with the US, first signed in the 1970s, Washington must sign off on South Korean reprocessing of any nuclear fuel.
The restrictions are part of Washington’s global non-proliferation efforts as well its aim to denuclearise the peninsula.
Reprocessing spent fuel could provide a pathway toward developing weapons, though South Korea has insisted its intention is driven by environmental and capability concerns.
The pact was last updated in 2015 and is effective until 2035.
South Korea’s neighbour, Japan, already has the right to reprocess spent fuel.
If a deal went ahead that involved the US supplying nuclear fuel to South Korea for use in submarines, it would be the second such agreement in the region.
The US and the UK have also agreed on such a deal with Australia, where they will “transfer submarine-specific material and equipment for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines,” according to a recent statement from the Australian government.
Mr Trump didn’t directly respond to the request during the discussion in front of reporters, but did say he hoped to work with South Korea on shipbuilding and mutual-defence efforts.
“Our defence is very important from the standpoint of helping other countries,” Mr Trump said. “But we’re going to take care of – we’re going to work with you.”
South Korean officials have worked hard to court Mr Trump, with Mr Lee presenting Mr Trump with a replica of a gold crown
After the Trump meeting, Mr Lee is also set to meet with President Xi Jinping in his first summit with the Chinese leader since taking office in June.
Mr Lee described South Korea as a country stuck between “two grinding stones” in an interview with Bloomberg News last week, expressing hope for a de-escalation of tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which are also Seoul’s two largest trading partners.
Highlighting the tricky balancing act facing South Korea, China imposed curbs on five US units of Hanwha Ocean Co
