Korea-U.S. fact sheet in spotlight as foreign minister heads to Canada for G7 meeting
Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 16:55
![Foreign Minister Cho Hyun answers questions from reporters during a press conference for the APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting at the International Media Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 30. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/e9152553-1acb-48c4-a8a7-5cbce17c691a.jpg)
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun answers questions from reporters during a press conference for the APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting at the International Media Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 30. [YONHAP]
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for Canada on Tuesday to attend the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting, where attention is focused on whether last-minute discussions will take place over the unresolved Korea-U.S. fact sheet on security cooperation.
Negotiations are ongoing in Washington over how to reflect the nuclear-powered submarine issue, which was discussed at the presidential level, on the fact sheet. Final coordination with Seoul will follow once the U.S. side completes internal adjustments.
Cho returned to Seoul early Tuesday from an official visit to Cambodia before departing for Canada to attend the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting as an invited guest, according to the Foreign Ministry. The meeting runs through Friday.
It remains uncertain whether Cho will hold bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio or take part in a trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
Still, if Cho meets Rubio in any format, the two sides are expected to exchange views on the fact sheet, one of the most pressing issues in Korea-U.S. relations. Cho is also scheduled to speak during expanded sessions on maritime security and prosperity, and on energy security and critical minerals.
“The message we received from the U.S. State Department was to wait a little longer,” Cho said at a parliamentary budget committee hearing last Thursday. He added, “We understand that the U.S. side is still finalizing consultations among its relevant agencies.”
This suggests that not only the State Department but also the U.S. defense, energy and commerce departments are contributing to the discussions. A diplomatic source noted that the State Department’s influence has diminished under the Trump administration and that Secretary Rubio tends to align politically with the president.
![From left, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan talk during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Nov. 4. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/f88d35f6-e5ab-41d2-ac75-45b3105bb400.jpg)
From left, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan talk during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Nov. 4. [YONHAP]
“Various agencies are voicing their opinions, but the final decision will ultimately rest with President Trump,” the source said.
A senior official from the presidential office said Friday that most adjustments on the “new issues” have been completed and that additional consultations in Washington are taking time. The new issues likely refer to the nuclear-powered submarine initiative that emerged as a key agenda item during the Oct. 29 Korea-U.S. summit.
The fact sheet, expected to span about three pages, will reportedly include agreements on submarine cooperation, nuclear energy policy, defense cost sharing and broader modernization of the alliance, along with technology collaboration. It may also outline each country’s stance on the U.S. principle of “strategic autonomy,” which could affect the role and presence of U.S. Forces Korea.
The main sticking points in the submarine discussions include where the vessels would be built and how nuclear fuel would be supplied. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 30 that the submarines should be constructed at the Philly Shipyard in the United States, but National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told lawmakers last Thursday that “building them in the United States is not under consideration.”
Trump is believed to view Korea’s nuclear submarine program as part of his plan to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding. However, experts point out that Philly Shipyard lacks essential infrastructure, such as radiation shielding facilities, making it unsuitable for such a construction project.
![President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands ahead of their summit at the Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang on Oct. 29. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/9421b002-6345-4cb9-bb71-d265933511ff.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands ahead of their summit at the Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang on Oct. 29. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
The Korean government is leaning toward building both the hull and reactor domestically, while importing enriched uranium fuel from the United States. The details of fuel supply are expected to become a key issue, and Seoul is also reviewing the need for a new bilateral nuclear agreement to supplement the current accord, which restricts the military use of nuclear technology.
Separately, the government plans to include on the fact sheet a long-term goal of revising the existing nuclear cooperation agreement to expand Korea’s rights to uranium enrichment and reprocessing for industrial purposes.
However, some experts warn that conflating discussions over the military use of nuclear materials for submarine fuel with talks on industrial nuclear cooperation is causing confusion and slowing progress.
“The government should have first focused on securing a pathway for Korea to conduct low-level enrichment of under 20 percent within the current framework of the nuclear cooperation agreement,” said Lee Byong-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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