NYT: U.S. Allows Saudi Uranium Enrichment but Bans It for South Korea, Sparking Double Standard Controversy

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 23rd (local time) that the United States is facing criticism for employing a "double standard" after opening the door to uranium enrichment in a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia while prohibiting South Korea from doing the same. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement (123 Agreement) under Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act on the 22nd. The agreement includes a provision allowing U.S. companies to operate uranium enrichment facilities within Saudi Arabia following two years of joint study.

The NYT pointed out that controversy over a double standard is inevitable, noting that South Korea—a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a nuclear power powerhouse operating 26 reactors—is banned from enrichment, while Saudi Arabia, which has no experience in building nuclear power plants, secured enrichment rights despite the Crown Prince's threat to possess nuclear weapons.

This agreement is raising expectations for progress in South Korea-U.S. nuclear negotiations while simultaneously creating the potential for rifts in the 70-year alliance. A South Korean Foreign Ministry official stated that the government is analyzing the specific details of the U.S.-Saudi agreement to determine its impact on South Korea-U.S. cooperation and will be closely monitoring the situation.