U.S. State Department Official: "South Korea's Nuclear Submarine Construction Shows Commitment to Jointly Counter Regional Threats"

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz:
"Working More Closely with Seoul
on Korean Peninsula and Pacific Issues"

Jonathan Fritz, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, suggested on December 3 (local time) that South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines demonstrates the commitment of the United States and South Korea to cooperate in response to China's military expansion. From a security perspective, the United States reaffirmed its stance on the denuclearization of North Korea and once again made clear its commitment to providing a nuclear umbrella for South Korea.

Jonathan Fritz, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, is delivering the keynote speech at the Korea Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies forum held on the 3rd (local time) in Washington D.C.

In his keynote speech at the forum hosted by the Korea Foundation (KF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. that day, Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz stated, "President Trump has previously expressed the United States' support for South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines equipped with conventional weapons," adding that the two countries "will cooperate bilaterally to identify and address the requirements and challenges associated with this."

He emphasized, "This (President Trump's expression of support for South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines) is a clear example of bilateral cooperation that advances our collective capabilities to counter regional threats."

The "regional threats" mentioned by Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz are interpreted as referring not only to North Korea's nuclear missile threat, but also to the increasing military and economic pressure exerted by China in the Indo-Pacific region, including areas surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

Previously, the "Joint Fact Sheet" released last month to implement the agreements from the U.S.-South Korea summit included approval for South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines, as well as a statement that "the two countries will strengthen the United States' conventional deterrence posture against all regional threats to the alliance, including those from North Korea." This has been interpreted as effectively targeting China.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz stated, "The core foundation of the U.S.-South Korea alliance is stronger than ever, and there is visible continuity in three key areas," identifying those areas as: robust extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella), pursuit of the complete denuclearization of North Korea, and the assurance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

He added, "We will work with partners across the region, including South Korea, to uphold international maritime law and ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and beyond."

He also noted, "We are working more closely with Seoul than ever before on issues affecting the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region," citing the shipbuilding industry as an example.

He reaffirmed his position on the denuclearization of North Korea. Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz said, "Our commitment to extended deterrence remains ironclad," reiterating the pledge to provide a nuclear umbrella, and added, "We are fully coordinated on North Korea and continue to urge the complete denuclearization of North Korea."

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz emphasized that South Korea can play a key role in President Trump's vision to reindustrialize the United States. He stated, "These efforts are based on South Korea's status as one of the leading investor countries in the United States, will support job creation in America, fuel the U.S.'s world-leading energy industry, foster trusted technological leadership, and strengthen our maritime partnership."

He repeatedly underscored the importance of South Korea's capital and skilled workforce in building an advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz said, "We need South Korea's continued investment in key sectors-namely shipbuilding, energy, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum technology," adding, "We need South Korea's support to operate these investments, and through temporary visas, experts should be sent to train our great American workers on how to carry out these precision manufacturing operations."

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz expressed regret over the detention of Korean engineers in Georgia and welcomed the deployment and technology transfer by Korean experts. He said, "After the Georgia incident (the arrest and detention of Korean workers), Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expressed our government's regret during his visit to Seoul in early September, and has since publicly emphasized this regret," adding, "As President Trump has made clear, we welcome South Korean nationals coming temporarily to the United States to train American workers for high-precision jobs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.