Seoul Seeks US Congressional Support for Shipbuilding and Nuclear Cooperation
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met two US senators in New York, urging congressional support for alliance agreements spanning shipbuilding, nuclear energy and security while discussing efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has urged US lawmakers to support faster implementation of bilateral agreements covering shipbuilding, nuclear energy and security, as Seoul seeks to translate recent summit commitments into concrete cooperation.
Cho met Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware in New York on Monday local time, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry. He was in the city for the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly.
The talks focused on the South Korea-US alliance, developments on the Korean Peninsula and broader regional affairs. Cho told the senators that he and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had agreed during bilateral talks in Washington last week to maintain close communication over agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders.
A central part of Seoul’s message was the role of Congress in advancing strategic projects. Cho called for active legislative support in areas including shipbuilding and nuclear energy, sectors that have become prominent in the two governments’ economic and security agenda.
The joint fact sheet issued after last year’s summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump called for South Korea to invest $350 billion in the United States. That total included $150 billion designated for shipbuilding cooperation, with the arrangement linked to lower US tariff rates.
The document also covered security-related initiatives sought by Seoul, including the development of nuclear-powered submarines and expanded rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel. Those goals require sustained coordination with Washington and make congressional backing an important part of implementation.
Cho also briefed the senators on Seoul’s assessment of conditions on the Korean Peninsula. He outlined the South Korean government’s efforts to pursue denuclearization and preserve peace amid continued concern over North Korea’s weapons programs and regional tensions.
Shaheen and Coons reaffirmed bipartisan congressional support for the alliance, the ministry said. They welcomed South Korean investment in the United States, pointing to its contribution to job creation and the rebuilding of American manufacturing capacity.
The senators also pledged continued congressional attention to the implementation of major summit agreements. In addition, they expressed willingness to cooperate on efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The meeting underscored how the alliance’s agenda now extends beyond traditional defense coordination. Large-scale industrial investment, shipbuilding capacity and sensitive nuclear cooperation are increasingly intertwined with security policy, requiring support across both the US administration and Congress.