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IAEA chief to visit South Korea next week for nuclear energy, North Korea discussions

Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 19:11

Director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi attends the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on January 30. [AFP/YONHAP]

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit South Korea next week for consultations on nuclear energy, North Korea and other issues, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi will make a two-day trip to Seoul starting Tuesday, during which he plans to meet Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and other officials here, ministry spokesperson Park Il said in a press briefing.

Grossi's upcoming visit comes as South Korea is pushing to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and secure the right to uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for civilian use under a deal made with the United States last year.

Cho and Grossi are expected to have broad discussions on issues of mutual concern, including the situation in the Middle East, North Korea's nuclear issues and cooperation on nuclear safety technology, Park said.

“We expect the meeting will serve as a good opportunity to contribute to promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the international community, based on South Korea's strong nuclear energy capabilities,” he said.

The process for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines would require Seoul to sign a separate agreement with the IAEA to meet inspection requirements and other safeguards, in addition to a deal with Washington.

Yonhap