The Foreign Ministry said Thursday it has set up a dedicated team to support negotiations with Washington over Seoul's plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines, as the allies continue follow-up talks on agreements reached at recent summits.
According a notice sent to reporters, the new "nuclear-powered submarine negotiation team" has been established under the ministry's North America bureau to serve as a working channel for consultations with the US.
"The two countries agreed on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines during a summit in November last year," the ministry said, adding that "the nuclear-powered submarine negotiation team was established to discuss follow-up measures."
The unit, composed of a director-level team head and two staff members, is expected to support discussions on introducing nuclear-powered submarines and revising the bilateral nuclear cooperation framework, while preparing practical steps toward a potential agreement needed for the construction of the vessels.
The move comes as a US delegation is expected to visit South Korea as early as late February or early March to begin consultations on security-related cooperation outlined in a joint fact sheet agreed by the two countries.
The ministry said the team was created to facilitate follow-up measures after the allies reached a broad understanding on cooperation related to nuclear-powered submarines during a summit last year.
The new unit will participate in a pan-government task force led by the Defense Ministry, which was launched in December to coordinate interagency negotiations on the submarine project. The Foreign Ministry team is expected to act as a key diplomatic channel in consultations with Washington while supporting the task force's broader efforts.
Separately, the Defense Ministry has also established a unit under its force planning bureau to advance efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, and the two ministries are expected to coordinate through the governmentwide task force.
The team is also expected to focus on preparing for a possible bilateral arrangement needed to support the submarine program, including cooperation on securing fuel supply and other technical aspects.
The initiative is seen as part of follow-up efforts to implement agreements reached during summit meetings between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump last year, which included commitments on security and economic cooperation.
The discussions come amid lingering uncertainty over the implementation of the summit agreements following Trump's warning of a potential tariff hike last month, citing what Washington described as slow progress on Seoul's commitments. The concern is closely tied to delays in the National Assembly's passage of a special bill aimed at facilitating South Korean investment in the US — a key component of the bilateral package — which officials say is essential to advancing related trade and security arrangements.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
![[Exclusive] Ateez to return in November](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/02/news-p.v1.20260902.76162fb0ba55493aad1c076f240d0750_R.jpg?type=h&h=120)