ROK-US nuclear pact revision sought

By Chung Min-uck

President-elect Park Geun-hye called for a revision of the Korea-United States Atomic Energy Agreement during a meeting with U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and other congressional leaders, Friday.

The bilateral nuclear energy accord was signed in 1973 to regulate Seoul's use of nuclear energy and is set to expire in 2014.

“I want cooperation from Chairman Royce and the congressmen in revising the Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement in a future-oriented way,” Park was quoted by her spokesman as telling Royce at her power transition team’s office in Seoul. “As the two nations get closer in their relationship, there are many issues to be dealt and the bilateral accord is one of them.”

Royce answered, “I will reconsider the revision from a different perspective.”

With the accord expiring in 2014, Seoul and Washington have been seeking to amend it within this year.

However, the two nations have different views on how to revise the accord, which bans Seoul from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent fuel due to concerns over proliferation.

“Developing atomic energy is crucial for South Korea as it provides energy to the nation effectively. So it wants to lift the restrictions,” said Whang Joo-ho, president of the Korea Institute of Energy Research. “In the case of the U.S., it fears South Korea's uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel might undermine global nonproliferation efforts. Seoul has yet to fully gain the trust of Washington.”

The U.S. has long said lifting the ban could provoke neighboring nations like North Korea and Japan, making the security situation in the region more volatile.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Park also said she was very interested in North Korea's human rights record.

"I have a lot of interest in the issue of North Korea's human rights," Park said. "It is important to make headway on such issues as the fundamental objective of our efforts for unification lies in improving the quality of lives of all people on the Korean Peninsula and further expanding freedom and human rights."

Park said she will also work hard to bring home South Korean prisoners of the 1950-53 Korean War, who are believed to be still alive across one of the world's most heavily fortified borders. She said her government will raise the issue as a priority in future talks with Pyongyang.