Wi Sung-lac, director of the Office of National Security in the presidential office, said on the 26th that Korea and the United States had reached an understanding to revise the nuclear cooperation agreement and "could go as far as the Japan level." However, he explained that whether to agree on and announce this simultaneously with negotiations on the security institutional sector and tariff issues "is something that needs to be decided."
Deputy Minister Wi appeared on KBS 1TV "Sunday Diagnosis Live" on the morning of the day and said, "As I mentioned last time, there has been meaningful progress on the issue of revising the nuclear cooperation agreement on the security side, and it has been agreed that we will move in a direction where we have more authority than now in the areas of enrichment and reprocessing."
Wi said, "It is still hard to guarantee whether results will come out (on the occasion of APEC), but there has been progress regarding the nuclear cooperation agreement, and it could go up to the level of Japan; you can understand it that way."
He added, "If the revision of the nuclear cooperation agreement is announced, we will push follow-up consultations and follow-up measures from then on," and "We need to discuss a bit more from now until the summit to see how it will work out."
Deputy Minister Wi, regarding the issue of revising the nuclear cooperation agreement, said, "Given our capabilities, it is not fair to be under continuous constraints; we have continually called for improving this situation, and there has been a positive response from the U.S. side to that request."
He explained, "When we ask for treatment similar to Japan in enrichment and reprocessing, the purpose is entirely economic and industrial, and there is no other intent," adding, "That is why the United States responded positively, but whether it will be exactly the same as Japan or take a slightly different form remains to be seen; however, we expect to gain authority over enrichment and reprocessing and are negotiating on that basis."
Regarding the defense cost issue, he said, "In line with the president's instructions, we responded proactively to the defense cost issue. The president instructed an increase in defense costs under the guideline that we should play a greater role and take the lead in the defense of the Korean Peninsula, and take an autonomous role."
He said, "With that card, we negotiated with the United States, and during the negotiations we were also able to derive the issue of revising the nuclear cooperation agreement," adding, "I do not see an entirely new burden in the part of increasing defense spending and taking on a larger role, as we already have a forward-leaning posture."