US Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim Says SMR Cooperation Is Top Priority for US Administration

US Ambassador to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Kevin Kim stated that cooperation in the field of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which South Korea, the United States, and Japan have agreed to pursue together, is a top priority for the US administration.
Branding a virtual press briefing held yesterday (the 24th) regarding the outcomes of ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings, Ambassador Kim said, "SMRs are a growing industry within the United States, and considering energy demands in Southeast Asia as well as the US and globally, they will play a core role in future energy supply."
Ambassador Kim remarked, "While I do not wish to go into detailed specifics as discussions are currently ongoing, what I can tell you is that this is a top priority for the current administration, and we are aware that it is also a priority for Southeast Asian governments."
Previously, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the US, and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to support the adoption of SMRs by Indo-Pacific countries during a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting held on the 7th local time in Turkey on the sidelines of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit.
Ambassador Kim refrained from giving specific answers when asked about immediate follow-up measures to implement this SMR cooperation framework in the short term, whether there are plans to launch regular consultative bodies or joint projects, and which specific ASEAN countries are being considered for cooperation.
"Energy security is an issue constantly discussed within the trilateral cooperation framework of South Korea, the US, and Japan, and the MOC demonstrates the close strategic cooperation that exists among the three countries," Ambassador Kim said. "As for what the next discussions will be, the three governments will continue to hold in-depth and more concrete discussions."
Ambassador Kim added, "I understand that consultations are underway regarding where and in what manner this issue can best be discussed," while noting that because those discussions remain sensitive and the countries are exchanging views, "I do not want to say too much specifically about which countries we will cooperate with or when."
Ambassador Kim previously served as Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in South Korea in January of last year, where he handled coordination for the Gyeongju APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit and the South Korea-US summit before returning to the State Department and subsequently taking on the role of US Ambassador to ASEAN.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.