The U.S. and South Korea recently launched the High Level Bilateral Commission (HLBC) to advocate for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, with its first meeting set for April 14 in Seoul.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and Korea Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul will co-chair the commission.
“The United States and the Republic of Korea share over 30 years of close cooperation on civil nuclear energy,” Sherwood-Randall said. “The creation of the HLBC reaffirms our nations’ deep commitment to our joint efforts on nuclear safety and builds on our history of mutually beneficial collaboration in this area.”
The HLBC was created in accordance with the Agreement for Cooperation Between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, or the U.S.-ROK 123 Agreement, giving the two countries a senior-level forum to discuss strategy and technical exchanges on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including promotion of nuclear exports, management of spent nuclear fuel, assurances of nuclear fuel supply and overall nuclear security.
In their initial meeting to establish the HLBC recently, the co-chairs discussed the structure and function of the commission and its working groups, which were designated in the 123 Agreement.
