Seoul: South Korea said Friday that it will keep an eye on revising a nuclear pact with the US when engaging in consultations with Washington on expanding its rights to uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, Yonhap News Agency reported.
According to Kuwait News Agency, First Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo made the remarks during a session of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, as the US affirmed its support for Seoul securing uranium enrichment and nuclear spent fuel reprocessing capabilities for civilian use.
"Consistent with the bilateral 123 agreement and subject to US legal requirements, the US supports the process that will lead to the ROK's civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses," said a joint fact sheet on trade and security agreements between Seoul and Washington, released earlier in the day.
While it marks a major gain for South Korea in improving nuclear fuel efficiency, Seoul may have to go the length of discussing the specifics of its agreement with the US on enrichment and reprocessing, possibly including a revision of the bilateral pact governing the matter, known as the 123 agreement, according to the report.
The vice minister also said the two countries "have a strong will" to implement the recent agreement on enrichment and reprocessing, although necessary steps remain, such as a domestic legal review.