Nuclear Submarine to Launch in 2030s: 'We Will Take Responsibility for Our Own Security'

The Ministry of National Defense publicly revealed its basic plan for the first time on the 26th to domestically build and launch a nuclear-powered submarine (nuclear sub) by the mid-2030s. Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek announced this plan at the '1st Future Defense Strategy Committee' held at the Naval Submarine Command in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the same day, and reported that the navy's deployment of nuclear subs would be completed by the late 2030s.

Minister Ahn explained that low-enriched uranium with an enrichment level of less than 20% would be used as nuclear fuel for the development of nuclear subs, and that South Korea would develop and build the nuclear subs domestically. He added that South Korea adheres to its principle of not possessing or developing nuclear weapons and will fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations in cooperation with the United States.

President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 26th, "The nuclear sub, to be built based on a strong ROK-U.S. alliance, is a symbol of our will to take responsibility for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula ourselves," and said it would also contribute to strengthening the nation's defense industry capabilities.

In a joint press release from the ROK-U.S. summit last November, the South Korean government announced that the United States had approved South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines and agreed to cooperate closely to advance the project requirements, including fuel procurement methods.