President Lee Jae‑myung publicly requested...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on October 30—just a day after his summit with South Korea—that he has approved the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for South Korea. During his second day in the country, President Trump wrote via his social-media platform Truth Social: “The U.S.–Korea military alliance is stronger than ever. On that basis, I have approved South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines, rather than the old-fashioned and less agile diesel-powered ones they currently have.”
He further stated that “South Korea will build these nuclear submarines right here in America, at the Philadelphia shipyard,” adding that “American shipbuilding will soon experience a major comeback.”
Yesterday, South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung publicly requested during the summit that approval be granted so that South Korea may supply the nuclear-fuel for such submarines.
Addressing this, President Lee told an audience at the National Gyeongju Museum on October 29: “There may have been some misunderstanding because I could not give full explanation earlier. We are not intending to build submarines loaded with nuclear weapons. Diesel submarines have limited submerged endurance and thus face constraints in tracking North Korean or Chinese submarines.” He added: “If we are permitted to receive fuel, we can build several submarines—equipped with conventional weapons using our own technology—to defend the waters around the Korean Peninsula, thereby reducing the burden on U.S. forces.”
The Philadelphia shipyard President Trump referenced is owned by South Korea’s Hanwha Group (which acquired it in December of last year). Hanwha announced in August that it would invest approximately USD 5 billion (roughly KRW 7 trillion) into the yard.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China placed five U.S. subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean, including the Philadelphia shipyard, on its restricted-transaction list on the 14th of this month—a move interpreted as a signal of Beijing’s resistance to the Korea–U.S. shipbuilding alliance.
In light of these developments,
President Trump’s statement that Korea’s nuclear-powered submarines would be constructed in the Philadelphia yard appears to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to deepening Korea–U.S. shipbuilding and defense cooperation—even amidst Chinese pressure.
At the previous day’s summit, Trump did not explicitly discuss the issue of Korea supplying fuel for the nuclear-powered submarines. However, he did note: “You know you are officially in a state of war on the Korean Peninsula, and we will see what we can do to fix all that.”
Why is important to build Nuclear-Powered Submarines to South Korea?
Nuclear-powered submarines (often abbreviated “nuclear subs” or “SSNs”) use nuclear reactors to allow them to remain submerged far longer than diesel-electric submarines. That extended endurance, combined with low acoustic signatures, enables stealth operations and forms the core of modern naval strategic assets. Diesel submarines must surface or snorkel to recharge batteries, which increases vulnerability. Nuclear submarines, by contrast, can stay submerged for weeks or even months at a time—making them far more formidable.
For South Korea to develop and operate nuclear-powered submarines, it would need to secure small-reactor technology and enriched-uranium fuel—both of which depend on revision of the Korea–U.S. nuclear agreement, under which Seoul is currently restricted from nuclear-fuel reprocessing.
Within Korea’s political arena, the idea of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines has long been raised. It featured prominently in election pledges of major candidates. Former President Moon Jae‑in pledged the introduction of such vessels while running for office, and the Moon administration explained the need to Washington in 2020. Seoul sought to secure fuel (low-enriched uranium) from the U.S., but failed to persuade Washington in view of its non-proliferation policy.
Then-candidate Lee Jae-myung in December 2021 declared: “To respond to North Korea’s threat, I will request U.S. support so we can build nuclear-powered submarines.” In an interview with Reuters, South China Morning Post and The Korea Times, he stressed the importance of nuclear-powered submarines for Korea and pledged to secure U.S. diplomatic and technical backing.
North Korea, by contrast, has for years pursued its own nuclear-powered submarine project. In March of this year it claimed to have launched one. There are also reports that Russia may have supplied North Korea with 2-3 submarine modules, which would dramatically accelerate Pyongyang’s underwater nuclear capability and pose serious implications for security in Northeast Asia.
According to Jeong Min-kim of Korea Risk Group, citing North Korea studies professor Kim Dong-yup of Kyungnam University: “North Korean technicians could travel to Russia, study submarine modules, and replicate them here. If that happens, their nuclear-sub program would accelerate dramatically.”
Currently only six nations operate nuclear-powered submarines: the U.S., China, Russia, the UK, France and India. Australia, under the AUKUS security pact with the U.S. and UK, is set to receive U.S.-supplied nuclear subs. The inclusion of South Korea would mark a significant expansion of that exclusive club.
Final Thoughts : Piece of Cake? No, Golden Cake for Peace!!
 |
| Piece of Cake? No, Golden Cake for Peace!! |
President Trump’s announcement marks a pivotal shift in the U.S.–South Korea alliance—one that realigns naval, industrial and strategic relationships. While the public message is of allied strength and revitalised shipbuilding, the underlying dynamics pose deeper questions: about nuclear-fuel regulation, regional deterrence, proliferation risks, and the ways that defense-industrial cooperation is reshaping the geopolitics of Northeast Asia.
No comments:
Post a Comment