South Korea’s presidential office confirmed on Friday that discussions with Washington have included plans to build nuclear-powered submarines domestically, with the hull and reactor developed in Korea while enriched uranium will be supplied by the United States.
The clarification follows reports suggesting that the submarines could be constructed in U.S. shipyards. An Oct. 29 post by U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had approved South Korea’s plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard run by Hanwha Ocean, after his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.
A presidential official said the bilateral discussions focused on building the submarines entirely in Korea, adding that the delay in releasing a joint fact sheet was due to ongoing consultations between U.S. departments and final adjustments to security-related terms.
“Our country is capable of building nuclear-powered submarines, but since nuclear fuel use requires U.S. approval, we received that approval,” the official stated. He added that the submarine will be conventionally armed and powered by a reactor developed in South Korea, with enriched uranium imported from the U.S. at a concentration suitable for Korean designs.
The official emphasized that South Korea plans to create a reactor model tailored to its defense needs rather than replicating U.S. Virginia-class submarines, which use 90% enriched uranium and are considered too costly for Korea’s purposes.
