South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (left) and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker pose for a photo ahead of talks at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday. (Foreign Ministry) A US delegation will visit South Korea in the coming weeks to launch security consultations on uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines under the Korea-US Joint Fact Sheet agreed to by the two countries’ leaders last year, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo met US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in Washington on Wednesday, where the two sides discussed the overall Korea-US relationship, issues related to the Korean Peninsula and regional and global affairs, according to the ministry.The two sides also agreed to hold a kickoff meeting for follow-up security consultations on issues including uranium enrichment and reprocessing rights, as well as nuclear-powered submarines, the ministry said. Hooker is expected to lead an interagency US delegation to Seoul within weeks for the talks.The US Department of State said in a statement that Hooker would visit Seoul in the coming weeks to “launch bilateral working groups to continue implementing understandings” reached during US President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea in October 2025.Working-level talks on enrichment, reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines had failed to begin for more than six months after the Joint Fact Sheet was announced in November last year.The delay came amid a series of bilateral issues, including delays in South Korean investment projects in the United States and disputes surrounding Coupang, as well as competing diplomatic priorities in Washington such as the Iran conflict and the US-China summit, according to diplomatic sources.Officials from the US State Department and Department of Energy responsible for nuclear energy, arms control and nonproliferation issues were reportedly tied up with nuclear negotiations involving Iran, while the White House focused on preparations for the summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.With the US-China summit concluded and South Korea’s special law related to investment in the United States set to take effect in June, officials expect the security talks to gain momentum.To secure enrichment and reprocessing rights, Seoul and Washington are expected to discuss options including revising the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement or adding separate provisions under the existing framework.Officials in Seoul believe it would be advantageous to accelerate negotiations while Trump maintains strong political influence in Washington. The South Korean government is reportedly seeking to ensure the upcoming kickoff meeting serves as substantive negotiations rather than a symbolic introductory session.Still, concerns remain that trade-related disputes could once again complicate the talks. Any setbacks involving South Korean investment plans in the US, or renewed friction over Seoul’s recent investigation into a massive personal data leak at US-listed e-commerce giant Coupang, could delay the security consultations, observers say.Ahead of his meeting with Hooker, Park also met senior US officials including Andrew Baker of the National Security Council and stressed the need for the prompt implementation of the bilateral security consultations.