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Trump Proposed Joint Uranium Enrichment Venture… President Lee Reveals Behind-the-Scenes of the Korea-US Summit Meeting
Maekyung | Local Language | News | Dec. 5, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes
President Lee Jae-myung revealed that during the Korea-US summit in Gyeongju last October, former US President Donald Trump proposed a joint uranium enrichment venture with South Korea, premised on Korea producing its own enriched uranium. Trump suggested a 50-50 investment and profit-sharing arrangement. Lee entrusted the matter to US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. The joint fact sheet from the summit indicated agreement on South Korea’s civilian uranium enrichment and reprocessing for peaceful purposes, signaling possible concrete cooperation. However, practical discussions have not yet begun, partly due to US concerns over potential South Korean nuclear armament ambitions.
The proposed joint venture likely involves establishing a multilateral uranium enrichment facility jointly operated and invested in by South Korea and the US. Experts note that such a project would ensure nuclear non-proliferation, an important consideration given recent global uranium supply disruptions like the Russia-Ukraine war. Lee clarified that uranium enrichment and fuel reprocessing, as civilian activities, do not directly violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He also addressed South Korea’s efforts to introduce nuclear-powered submarines, highlighting that while these are military assets, they contain no nuclear weapons or detonators and thus do not conflict with non-proliferation rules. He emphasized the strategic and economic benefits of domestic production.
Additionally, President Lee expressed a willingness to apologize to North Korea over the previous administration's distribution of leaflets that raised inter-Korean tensions but hesitated due to political sensitivities. On diplomacy, Lee indicated plans to discuss security cooperation with China alongside cultural and economic exchanges, aiming for a summit with President Xi Jinping early next year. On Japan, he reiterated a "two-track diplomacy" approach, separating historical disputes such as the Sado mine and Dokdo from ongoing economic, security, and cultural cooperation.