Tokyo, June 2 (EFE).- South Korea and the United States opened a two-day round of talks in Seoul on Tuesday focused on expanding bilateral nuclear cooperation, as Seoul seeks to advance plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines with Washington’s support. The discussions are aimed at “to advance bilateral nuclear cooperation initiatives as outlined by our two presidents last fall,” US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker said on X. According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, a key topic on the agenda is Seoul’s effort to develop domestically built nuclear-powered submarines. South Korea announced last week that it aims to deploy its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s, citing persistent tensions on the Korean Peninsula and North Korea’s continued refusal to engage in dialogue. The project gained momentum in October 2025 when US President Donald Trump reportedly approved South Korea’s request to pursue nuclear-powered submarines during a meeting with President Lee Jae-myung. Until now, Seoul’s ambitions have been constrained by legal and technological restrictions stemming largely from the bilateral atomic energy agreement with the US, commonly known as the 123 Agreement. The accord prohibits South Korea from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel except for peaceful civilian purposes. Because naval nuclear propulsion typically requires highly enriched uranium or other specialized nuclear fuel subject to strict controls under the agreement, South Korea has been unable to move forward without explicit US approval or significant revisions to the existing framework. The talks are expected to explore ways to deepen nuclear cooperation while addressing the legal, technical and non-proliferation issues associated with the submarine program. EFE kor-daa-sk