Korea-U.S. summit fact sheet delayed due to wording about nuclear subs, presidential office says

President Lee Jae Myung presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and a model of the Gold Crown of Cheonmachong during the official Korea-U.S. welcome ceremony held at the Gyeongju National Museum on Oct. 29. [PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CORPS]

 
The release of the joint fact sheet outlining the outcome of Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations has been delayed due to adjustments in wording regarding security issues, according to Korea’s presidential office on Friday. 
 
During last month’s Korea-U.S. summit, discussions on building nuclear-powered submarines were added, exposing differences between the two sides. One of the main sticking points is reportedly where the submarines should be built — in Korea or the United States.
 
  
“Some coordination is needed in the security section, and discussions with the United States are ongoing,” a senior official from the presidential office told reporters.“The delay stems from the United States taking time to review and gather additional feedback on the document.”
 
Asked about the timing of the announcement, the official said it depends on the United States’ response, but “It’s hard to specify when it will happen.” 
 
“Since the situation is evolving, we can’t predict what will happen next, but we intend to maintain our consistent position and patiently work to secure our stance.”
 

Large cranes and ships under construction are seen at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang. [NEWS1]

 
According to this official, negotiations over trade issues were intense before the summit, while the security section had been mostly finalized. But after the summit — which concluded with a trade deal cutting tariffs by 15 percent and securing $350 billion in Korean investment in the United States — and after U.S. President Donald Trump approved Korea’s request for nuclear-powered submarines, progress on the trade and security parts of the fact sheet diverged. “There have been no disagreements on the trade side since the summit,” the official said. “But discussions have reopened on the security side.”
 
While both sides have agreed in principle on Korea’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, they have struggled to narrow differences in drafting details. A diplomatic source said, “The United States insisted the submarines should be built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, while Korea argued they should be built domestically — and that’s where the conflict arose.” A senior presidential aide confirmed, “There were talks about where to build them.” The U.S. side has yet to give a definitive answer.
 
The presidential office maintains a firm stance that the submarines should be built in Korea. The official said, “During the leaders’ conversation, it was agreed that construction would take place in Korea. The record of the summit shows President Lee Jae Myung explicitly saying, ‘We’ll build them here [in Korea].’” National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac also told the National Assembly the previous day, “Investing in submarine facilities at the Philadelphia yard isn’t realistic, so we’re pursuing production in Korea.”
 
The government plans to build the submarines domestically and develop the small reactors that power them locally. However, the low-enriched uranium fuel (about 20 percent uranium-235) would be supplied by the United States. While Seoul had considered seeking U.S. approval to enrich uranium on its own, the presidential office has ruled that out. “Technically, domestic enrichment is possible, but it’s unclear if it’s cost-effective,” the senior official said. “Our current thinking is that it’s better to import uranium from the United States.”
 
The security section of the fact sheet is expected to cover nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment and reprocessing, and modernization of the Korea-U.S. alliance. “The document will include all major issues discussed between the two leaders,” the official said.
 
 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yoon-cheol answers questions from lawmakers during a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 7. [NEWS1]

 
On the economic side, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol told the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts that Korea’s foreign reserves would remain around $420 billion, despite concerns that the $350 billion U.S. investment could reduce them. “We’ll fund the investment through interest or dividends and, if needed, raise capital overseas,” he said.
 
The ruling People Power Party criticized the delay in releasing the fact sheet, saying the presidential office was “once again becoming the boy who cried wolf.” Floor leader Song Eon-seok wrote on Facebook, “At yesterday’s hearing, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik confidently said the fact sheet would be released this week, but within a day the presidential office changed its tune, saying the document isn’t ready,” accusing Kang of lying to the National Assembly.
 
Meanwhile, a Gallup Korea poll conducted from Nov. 4 to 6 and released on Friday showed President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating rose 6 percentage points from the previous week to 63 percent — the highest in two months since early September. Among those who viewed him positively, 30 percent cited “foreign policy” as the reason. The recent APEC summit in Gyeongju and the accompanying Korea-U.S. summit appear to have boosted public approval.
 
As for the trade negotiations with the United States, 55 percent of respondents said the government “handled them well,” while 26 percent said it “did poorly.” Seventy-four percent also said the Gyeongju APEC summit “benefited the national interest,” while 13 percent said it did not.
 
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
 

BY YOON SUNGMIN [[email protected]]