FM Cho tells US energy chief of need for nuclear enrichment, reprocessing for commercial use: foreign ministry

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has told the U.S. energy secretary that Korea needs nuclear fuel reprocessing and enrichment for commercial purposes, the foreign ministry said Friday. Cho delivered the message to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright during their meeting the previous day on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, the ministry said in a statement. Cho told Wright that Korea, as an operator of 26 nuclear reactors, needs to secure a complete cycle of nuclear fuel, including enrichment and reprocessing, for energy security, the ministry said. Cho stressed that this would be solely for the commercial purpose of ensuring the stable operation of the country's nuclear power reactors. In response, Wright said he would discuss this issue with other government bodies, taking Cho's request into consideration, the ministry said. Seoul has been seeking a relaxation from the "123 Agreement," a bilateral nuclear energy pact with Washington that bans it from spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment. Cho and Wright recalled the "meaningful" discussions on nuclear energy cooperaWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times