Seoul, Washington and Tokyo sign SMR pact for joint reactor projects
The nations agreed to back small modular reactor projects in third countries, as their shared ties expand beyond security to commercial nuclear energy cooperation.
From left: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun pose with a memorandum of cooperation on small modular reactors during a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7.AP/YONHAP
Foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed to cooperate on deploying small modular reactors (SMR), expanding trilateral cooperation beyond security coordination and into joint commercial nuclear energy projects.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi together signed a memorandum of cooperation, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.
The agreement was made during a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday. It marks the first trilateral foreign ministers' talks of the year and first since the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju in October last year.
The three countries agreed to establish a framework to accelerate the deployment of SMRs in third countries, beginning in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The memorandum will provide a foundation to advance our shared security interests while helping to meet the energy security needs of partner countries,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.
The three governments agreed to support the reactor construction projects using standardized SMR designs rather than developing new designs and contracts for each site, with the aim of reducing costs and shortening construction timelines. The memorandum also covered cooperation on forming business consortiums among companies from the three countries, financing projects in recipient countries, strengthening local capabilities and providing technology, fuel, equipment and services.
The agreement comes as concerns over energy security have grown from heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz that arose during the Iran war.
From left: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a photo during an earlier trilateral meeting that took place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju on Oct. 29, 2025.NEWS1
South Korea, the United States and Japan have traditionally focused trilateral cooperation on responding to North Korea's nuclear threats and strengthening security coordination in the Indo-Pacific. However, the latest agreement marks a shift toward practical commercial cooperation centered on nuclear power exports and related supply chains.
The memorandum also institutionalizes trilateral cooperation on SMRs, an area that had previously been discussed primarily through bilateral channels, either between South Korea and the United States or between the United States and Japan.
“Discussions on trilateral SMR cooperation had remained largely theoretical, with discussions focused on whether it is necessary,” a source familiar with the matter said. “However, heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz increased interest in strengthening energy security, and led to a consensus that concrete cooperative projects should be developed.”
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said the coordinated approach would enable companies from the three countries “to provide more competitive solutions to meet the growing energy demands of partner countries in the region.”
Visitors look at a model of a small modular reactor during the International Nuclear Expo 2026 held at Bexco in Haeundae District, Busan, on April 22.SONG BONG-GEUN
The ministry also said the three governments would support the commercialization of new reactor technologies while “upholding the highest standards of nuclear safety, nuclear security and nonproliferation.” The government's emphasis on commitment to nonproliferation through the SMR agreement also appears to be linked to Korea's push to introduce nuclear-powered submarines.
The three foreign ministers agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea policy, including responses to the country's illicit cyber activities.
“We have agreed to continue efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy, while upholding the principle of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the Foreign Ministry said.
However, the three governments used different wording when describing their denuclearization goals.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry uses the phrase “the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” while Japan's Foreign Ministry instead used the phrase “the complete denuclearization of North Korea.” The U.S. State Department's readout did not include separate language on denuclearization, instead focusing on the SMR memorandum and commitments to nuclear safety, nuclear security and nonproliferation.
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.
