US official calls Korean firms' participation in nuclear expansion 'almost mandatory'

A U.S. government official said in Seoul Thursday that Korean companies are almost mandatory partners in U.S. and global nuclear expansion. The official said the 123 Agreement does not prevent their participation, while requirements for exported technology are standard export-control matters. Korean firms are already involved in U.S. reactor projects, and Washington supports cooperation between Korean and U.S. companies in third countries. The official also said the United States has invested about $3 billion in enrichment capacity to supply reactors at home and abroad.

The official attended the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in Incheon before making the remarks.

SK is among the largest investors in TerraPower, which is building a reactor in Wyoming, while Westinghouse is looking to work with Hyundai and other Korean firms.

Doosan holds contracts with multiple U.S. developers.

The joint fact sheet issued after last year’s meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump covers $150 billion in Korean investment for U.S. shipbuilding and Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The official said enrichment and reprocessing cooperation would require additional discussions under 123 agreements. The U.S. enrichment investment includes capacity for high-assay low-enriched uranium, which many advanced reactors require.

Published Oct 29, 2026 3:47 pm KST

Seen is the U.S. Embassy in Seoul in this Aug. 26 file photo. Korea Times file

Washington considers the participation of Korean companies all but essential to its nuclear expansion, a U.S. government official familiar with the matter said in Seoul Thursday, as the two countries look to build reactors at home and in third countries.

“I think it's almost mandatory that we will have Korean companies involved,” the official said, after attending the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in Incheon.

“We would like to have Korean companies participate in moving forward the renaissance in U.S. and around the world,” the official added. “We do need Korean companies, who have very good experience in this area already, to help in that process.”

The official said the 123 Agreement, the bilateral pact governing civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, does not prevent Korean firms from participating. Requirements attached to exported technology amount to standard export-control matters rather than a barrier under the agreement itself, the official noted.

The Korean industry is already embedded in several U.S. projects. SK is among the largest investors in TerraPower, which is building a reactor in Wyoming, while Westinghouse is looking to work with Hyundai and other Korean firms. Doosan holds contracts with multiple U.S. developers.

The remarks came as Seoul and Washington struggle to advance negotiations on the joint fact sheet issued after last year's meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. The document covers $150 billion in Korean investment for the U.S. shipbuilding industry and Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The complexity of the Korea’s civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, alongside a separate dispute involving the U.S.-based e-commerce company Coupang, is widely seen as slowing the talks.

On the possibility for nuclear fuel cycle cooperation, the official said, "I think across the board we have opportunities for collaboration with each country. We respect to the enrichment reprocessing that would have to be covered in additional discussions on 123 agreements."

The official also said Washington encourages cooperation between Korean and U.S. firms in third countries, describing such deals as business-to-business arrangements rather than government-to-government deployments. The U.S. government advocates for its companies in those markets, the official said.

On fuel supply, the official said the U.S. has invested about $3 billion in enrichment capacity, including high-assay low-enriched uranium, which many advanced reactors require. The investment is intended to secure fuel for domestic use and for export, so that reactors sold abroad have a reliable supply, the official said.

一位美国政府官员周四在首尔表示，韩国企业几乎是美国乃至全球核能扩张的必然合作伙伴。该官员称，123协议并不妨碍韩国企业参与，而出口技术的要求则属于标准的出口管制事项。韩国企业已参与美国的反应堆项目，华盛顿也支持韩美企业在第三国开展合作。该官员还表示，美国已投资约30亿美元用于铀浓缩能力建设，以供应国内外反应堆。

这位官员在发表上述言论之前，曾出席在仁川举行的国际核能部长级会议。

SK是TerraPower的最大投资者之一，TerraPower正在怀俄明州建造一座反应堆，而西屋电气则希望与现代和其他韩国公司合作。

斗山与多家美国开发商签订了合同。

去年李在明总统和美国总统唐纳德·特朗普会晤后发布的联合情况说明书涵盖了韩国对美国造船业的1500亿美元投资以及首尔建造核动力攻击潜艇的计划。

该官员表示，根据123号协议，浓缩和后处理方面的合作需要进一步磋商。美国的浓缩投资包括高丰度低浓缩铀的生产能力，这是许多先进反应堆所必需的。

发布于2026年10月29日下午3:47（韩国标准时间）

这张摄于8月26日的资料照片显示的是美国驻首尔大使馆。（韩国时报资料照片）

一位熟悉此事的美国政府官员周四在首尔表示，华盛顿认为韩国企业的参与对其核能扩张几乎是必不可少的，因为两国都希望在本国和第三国建造反应堆。

这位官员在参加完仁川国际核能部长级会议后表示：“我认为韩国公司参与其中几乎是必然的。”

这位官员补充说：“我们希望韩国企业参与推动美国乃至全球的复兴。我们需要韩国企业在这个领域拥有非常丰富的经验，来帮助我们实现这一目标。”

该官员表示，《123协定》（即两国间民用核能合作的双边协议）并不妨碍韩国企业参与。该官员指出，对出口技术的相关要求属于标准的出口管制事项，而非协定本身所规定的障碍。

韩国工业已参与多个美国项目。SK集团是TerraPower公司最大的投资者之一，该公司正在怀俄明州建造一座反应堆；西屋电气公司正寻求与现代集团和其他韩国企业合作。斗山集团则与多家美国开发商签订了合同。

上述言论发表之际，首尔和华盛顿仍在努力推进去年李在明总统与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普会晤后发布的联合情况说明书的谈判。该文件涵盖韩国对美国造船业1500亿美元的投资以及首尔建造核动力攻击潜艇的计划。

韩国民用铀浓缩和乏燃料后处理的复杂性，以及涉及美国电子商务公司 Coupang 的另一场纠纷，被普遍认为是拖慢谈判进程的原因。

关于核燃料循环合作的可能性，这位官员表示：“我认为我们与每个国家都有合作的机会。我们尊重浓缩后处理问题，这需要在关于123项协议的进一步讨论中予以涵盖。”

这位官员还表示，华盛顿鼓励韩国和美国企业在第三国开展合作，并将此类交易描述为企业对企业安排，而非政府对政府合作。这位官员说，美国政府会为本国企业在这些市场的发展提供支持。

关于燃料供应，这位官员表示，美国已投资约30亿美元用于铀浓缩能力建设，其中包括许多先进反应堆所需的高丰度低浓缩铀。该官员称，这项投资旨在保障国内和出口的燃料供应，从而确保出口到国外的反应堆拥有可靠的燃料供应。