President Obama has approved a proposed nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and South Korea for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the White House announced last week. “I have determined that the performance of the proposed Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security,” Obama said in a Presidential Determination. “I hereby approve the proposed Agreement and authorize the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution.” The “123 agreement” on civil nuclear energy cooperation would allow South Korea to conduct a type of nuclear reprocessing research, but includes other restrictions on enrichment and reprocessing. A proposed agreement was reached after Congress passed a two-year extension on the current deal in order to extend negotiations. Provisions regarding enrichment and reprocessing rights were contested during these negotiations, with some lawmakers advocating for the gold standard barring all enrichment and reprocessing. A final deal is due by the time the two-year extension expires in March 2016.
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