What did Korea and the United States agree to do in nuclear and high-energy physics?

They agreed to expand cooperation in nuclear and high-energy physics through a statement of interest signed by Koo Hyuk-chae and Dario Gil. The two sides will look for cooperation areas in large-scale research infrastructure and computational science applications.

Who signed the Korea-U.S. science cooperation statement of interest?

Koo Hyuk-chae, first vice minister of science and ICT, signed the statement with Dario Gil, the U.S. Department of Energy under secretary for science. The signing took place on Thursday U.S. time in Washington, D.C.

What new mechanism will be created under the Korea-U.S. nuclear and high-energy physics agreement?

A joint quantum cooperation committee will be set up to implement the agreement. The science ministry said the two countries will use it to carry out the partnership and advance cooperation in related research fields.

Korea, US agree to expand cooperation in nuclear, high-energy physics

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Summary

Korea and the United States agreed in Washington, D.C., last week to expand cooperation in nuclear and high-energy physics, Seoul’s science ministry said Monday. First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Koo Hyuk-chae signed a statement of interest with U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Dario Gil on Thursday. The two sides will identify cooperation areas in large-scale research infrastructure and promote partnerships in computational science applications. A joint quantum cooperation committee will be established to carry out the agreement.

Key Facts

Koo Hyuk-chae signed the statement of interest with Dario Gil on Thursday U.S. time.
The two countries will identify areas of cooperation in large-scale research infrastructure.
They will also promote partnerships in computational science applications.
A joint quantum cooperation committee will be established to implement the agreement.
Koo also met U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein to discuss progress on a working group for the technology prosperity deal signed last October.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 31, 2026 2:02 pm KST

First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Koo Hyuk-chae, right, poses with his American counterpart Dario Gil, the under secretary for science at the U.S. department of energy, in Washington, Thursday, after signing a statement of interest on broader cooperation in the area of nuclear and high-energy physics. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT

Government officials from Korea and the United States met in Washington, D.C., last week and agreed to expand cooperation in the area of nuclear and high-energy physics, Seoul's science ministry said Monday.

Koo Hyuk-chae, first vice minister of science and ICT, signed a statement of interest (SOI) on such a partnership with Dario Gil, the under secretary for science at the U.S. department of energy, on Thursday (U.S. time), the ministry said in a press release.

Under the agreement, the two countries will identify areas of cooperation in large-scale research infrastructure, while also promoting partnerships in computational science applications.

A joint quantum cooperation committee will be established to implement such an agreement, the science ministry added.

Koo also met with U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein to discuss the progress on a working group aimed at implementing the technology prosperity deal signed between the two countries last October.

The agreement, which came on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, is aimed at elevating the Korea-U.S. alliance in artificial intelligence and other high-tech industries.

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