Korean Nuclear Submarine Program Accelerates... U.S. Delegation Likely to Visit Seoul Next Month

The construction of a Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine (nuclear sub) is expected to accelerate. A working group to implement the security agreements reached between the leaders of South Korea and the United States is scheduled to launch soon.

Park Yoonjoo, First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (left), and Allison Hooker, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Political Affairs, are posing for a commemorative photo ahead of their meeting on the 19th (local time) at the U.S. Department of State building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 20, "A kickoff meeting will be held to implement the security sector agreements outlined in the joint statement of the South Korea-U.S. summit." This decision follows the meeting between Park Yoonjoo, First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is currently visiting Washington, D.C., and Allison Hooker, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Political Affairs, which took place the previous day (local time). The U.S. Department of State also released a press statement through its spokesperson, stating, "Under Secretary Hooker will lead an interagency delegation to Seoul in the coming weeks." While a specific date was not given, it is understood that the visit will most likely occur in mid-June.

Last October, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea and reached agreements in trade and security with President Lee. The following month, the two countries included specific details in a joint explanatory document. The main points of the security agreement include U.S. cooperation on South Korea’s nuclear submarine construction and the expansion of South Korea's authority over uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.

The military is also moving quickly to construct a nuclear submarine. According to documents submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the office of Kang Daeshik, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee from the People Power Party, the Navy recently submitted a statement of requirements for a nuclear submarine to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A statement of requirements is the first official step in the arms acquisition process, in which the military requests higher authorities for the necessary performance specifications, operational concepts, required number of units, and the timeline for deployment when introducing new weapon systems or pursuing force enhancement projects. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are currently reviewing the Navy's request, and it is known that they plan to hold a joint staff meeting this month to finalize the decision on the nuclear submarine requirements.

In addition, as the government is also pushing for a "Special Act on Nuclear Submarines," there is a possibility that the introduction procedures for nuclear submarines will be simplified. The military authorities have been reviewing a plan to acquire four or more nuclear-powered submarines with a displacement of over 5,000 tons in the mid-2030s or later, but there are suggestions that the displacement or the required number of units may have changed during internal reviews.

The government is working to announce the "Basic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Korea Nuclear-Powered Submarine" at the end of this month, which will include South Korea's principles on securing nuclear submarines, construction plans, and its position on nuclear non-proliferation. The release of the basic plan is expected to provide a detailed timeline and a blueprint for the Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine.

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