South Korea, US to soon begin talks on revising nuclear energy pact, FM says

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks at a forum at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on Oct. 22, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Along with ongoing tariff-related negotiations, South Korea will soon begin talks with the U.S. to revise the bilateral nuclear agreement, which currently prevents Seoul from reprocessing its spent nuclear fuel, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Thursday.

He made the comments during a radio interview, confirming that some consensus has been reached on revising the decades-long agreement and that relevant discussions will take place soon as part of broader security talks.

When asked whether the two countries could finally resolve several contentious issues in trade negotiations in time for next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, he said, "There is no strict deadline," explaining that President Lee Jae Myung has stressed "prioritizing national interests" to reach a deal that should be "commercially rational."

He added, "If these conditions are not met, negotiations may take more time."

Despite difficulties in ironing out the complex aspects of the negotiations such as how to fulfill and fund Seoul's $350 billion investment in the U.S., part of the deal reached last July to lower reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent, Cho pledged to achieve a "win-win" solution for both countries.

Lee Hugh 기자