The United States and South Korea are in "very technical" discussions on Seoul's bid for authorization under a new nuclear cooperation treaty to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, a senior Obama administration official said yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 26).
"Let me just say that that's an issue of ongoing diplomacy between the two sides, very technical," the Yonhap News Agency quoted U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell as saying. "We're working closely to ensure that there is an understanding of what expectations are, not only to the United States, but other authorities associated with this going forward."
The two allies' decades-old atomic trade deal, due to expire in March 2014, prohibits South Korea from reprocessing used plutonium or enriching uranium -- two processes that can be used to generate weapon material as well as fuel for civilian use. South Korea has vied for the right under a new agreement to use pyroprocessing techniques -- an experimental system that advocates say is more resistant to proliferation as it keeps the plutonium combined with other materials.
Washington and Seoul "discussed a proposed joint study of nuclear power reactor spent fuel disposition options, including pyroprocessing," the State Department said. "They agreed that technical experts would meet soon to work out the scope of the study and the venue and schedule for completing it.
"Both sides expect the new agreement to ensure the continuance and further development of the robust bilateral cooperation they have enjoyed in atomic energy for more than fifty years, as well as to further contribute to the strengthening of their alliance by enhancing cooperation in nuclear research and development, industry and commerce in the future," the department's statement adds (Hwang Doo-hyong Yonhap News Agency, Oct. 26).
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20101027_9694.php
"Let me just say that that's an issue of ongoing diplomacy between the two sides, very technical," the Yonhap News Agency quoted U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell as saying. "We're working closely to ensure that there is an understanding of what expectations are, not only to the United States, but other authorities associated with this going forward."
The two allies' decades-old atomic trade deal, due to expire in March 2014, prohibits South Korea from reprocessing used plutonium or enriching uranium -- two processes that can be used to generate weapon material as well as fuel for civilian use. South Korea has vied for the right under a new agreement to use pyroprocessing techniques -- an experimental system that advocates say is more resistant to proliferation as it keeps the plutonium combined with other materials.
Washington and Seoul "discussed a proposed joint study of nuclear power reactor spent fuel disposition options, including pyroprocessing," the State Department said. "They agreed that technical experts would meet soon to work out the scope of the study and the venue and schedule for completing it.
"Both sides expect the new agreement to ensure the continuance and further development of the robust bilateral cooperation they have enjoyed in atomic energy for more than fifty years, as well as to further contribute to the strengthening of their alliance by enhancing cooperation in nuclear research and development, industry and commerce in the future," the department's statement adds (Hwang Doo-hyong Yonhap News Agency, Oct. 26).
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20101027_9694.php
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