US to grant S. Korea exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul and Washington are moving to form a separate bilateral pact to facilitate South Korea's development of nuclear-powered submarines, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Wednesday, following their agreement on the need for such a deal. “On the issue of cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines, the two sides agreed that a separate pact between us is necessary, and we are moving to pursue it,” he told reporters at a briefing in Seoul after his weeklong trip to the U.S., Canada and Japan from Dec. 16 to 22. The move toward the pact follows an October summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Trump approved Seoul's bid to build nuclear submarines. In Washington, Wi met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other senior officials. Wi said he had “practical in-depth discussions,” noting that submarine collaboration, uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing were all on the agenda. Discussing the legal framework for a nuclear submarine deal, Wi pointed to constraints in U.S. law and the need