Key points
- Nuclear subs enhance South Korea’s capabilities
- South Korea commits $150 billion to US shipbuilding
- North Korea’s cruise missile tests highlight growing threats
GYEONGJU, South Korea: The United States will share its highly guarded technology to enable South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, President Donald Trump announced on social media following a meeting with the South Korean president.
President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the intention to modernise the alliance with the US during their meeting on Wednesday, emphasising plans to increase military spending to reduce America’s financial burden, reports AP News.
Lee also mentioned that there may have been a misunderstanding during their previous conversation in August regarding nuclear-powered submarines, clarifying that the South Korean government was seeking nuclear fuel, not weapons.
Lee explained that South Korea’s current diesel-powered submarines have limitations in tracking other countries’ submarine activities. He argued that acquiring nuclear-powered submarines would enhance South Korea’s capabilities and contribute to US activities in the region.
Diesel-powered submarines
While diesel-powered submarines need to surface regularly to recharge their batteries, nuclear-powered submarines offer much longer endurance and can stay submerged for extended periods.
Trump also stated in a separate post that the nuclear-powered submarine would be constructed at the Philly Shipyard, which was purchased last year by South Korea’s Hanwha Group.
The size and cost of the submarine project remain unclear, but South Korea has committed to investing $150 billion in America’s shipbuilding capacity as part of the discussions with Trump.
US nuclear submarine technology is among the most sensitive and strictly protected military knowledge.
Submarine technology
The US has historically been extremely cautious about sharing such technology, even in a recent deal with close allies, the UK and Australia, where nuclear submarine technology was shared, but without direct transfer of US knowledge.
Trump’s social media post comes ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country possesses nuclear submarines, and follows North Korea’s unveiling in March of a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, which poses a significant security threat to both South Korea and the US.
During Trump’s visit to South Korea, North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had conducted successful cruise missile tests, marking another demonstration of its growing military capabilities.
Pentagon officials have yet to respond to inquiries about Trump’s announcement on sharing nuclear submarine technology with South Korea.
