The government has launched an interagency task force to prepare for negotiations with the U.S. on expanding South Korea’s authority over uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. 

The task force on South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation held its first meeting at the foreign ministry on Friday. 

Participants represented the ministries of foreign affairs, science, environment and industry, as well as the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control.

The task force is led by former South Korean Ambassador to Romania Rim Kap-soo, who served as a nonproliferation expert at the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2016.

According to the foreign ministry, the participants reviewed each agency’s role in terms of uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing while discussing which direction to take in consultations with the U.S. 

The government plans to engage in negotiations with the U.S. after deciding, via the task force, how to go about expanding South Korea’s authority over uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, which could mean amending or overhauling their existing nuclear cooperation agreement.