US AND SOUTH KOREA TO SEEK TWO-YEAR 123 AGREEMENT EXTENSION

The United States and South Korea this week agreed to pursue a two-year extension on their civil nuclear agreement. Officials have suggested that a new deal would be unlikely before the current one expires next March due to Korea’s desire to pursue enrichment and reprocessing. “Because our cooperation is increasingly broad and deep, there are several complex technical issues that will take some additional time and effort to resolve,” according to a State Department statement from yesterday. “To provide time for our negotiators to finalize an agreement that meets these important goals, and to meet our respective legal requirements for approval of such an agreement, the United States and the ROK have decided to seek a two-year extension of the current agreement. The Administration will begin immediately to consult with Congress on extending the existing agreement.” Officials plan to hold the next meeting with Korea on updating the agreement in June, and expect to meet quarterly.