USS Alexandria, the United States Navy's nuclear-powered submarine, arrives at a naval base in Busan on Feb. 10, 2025. [NEWS1]
The military officially launched a long-sought Naval project that stalled for decades over technical and diplomatic hurdles, beginning formal procedures to develop nuclear-powered submarines.
The Navy recently submitted a requirement document on nuclear-powered submarines to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), according to materials submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the office of Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on Wednesday.
Submitting a requirement document is considered the first stage in the weapons acquisition process. It is a formal procedure in which the military specifies required performance capabilities, operational concepts, procurement scale and deployment timelines for the new weapons system.
The Navy confirmed that it had submitted the document, but didn't disclose further details.
The JCS is currently reviewing the proposal and is expected to hold a meeting this month to decide whether to formally approve the requirement.
Once the requirement is approved, additional processes such as preliminary research, feasibility studies and consultations over total project costs await before the system development stage. However, the process could be sped up as the government is considering implementing a special act to introduce nuclear-powered submarines.
Military authorities have reportedly been reviewing a plan to secure at least four 5,000-ton nuclear-powered submarines, with an aim to wrap up the process around the mid-2030s. But nothing is finalized, and some say that the displacement and procurement scale may have been adjusted during internal discussions.
Nuclear-powered submarines are regarded as strategic assets because they can remain submerged for long periods and conduct covert operations. The Korean military has raised the need for such submarines since the Kim Young-sam administration, but the project has repeatedly stalled over technical and diplomatic issues.
The project regained momentum after the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju in October 2025. During a bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the summit, President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to cooperate on Korea's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a press conference announcing the conclusion of a joint fact sheet with the United States on Nov. 14, 2025. The fact sheet included Seoul's request on sourcing fuel for nuclear-powered submarines. [NEWS1]
Securing nuclear fuel, however, remains unresolved.
Korea would need to negotiate with the United States over the transfer of weapons-grade nuclear material. A separate agreement to obtain enriched uranium for submarine fuel is also necessary, but no major progress has reportedly been made.
“There have been important discussions, including phone talks between the Korean and U.S. presidents and meetings between defense ministers, but how to secure nuclear fuel remains unclear,” said Rep. Kang. “The government should first clearly explain to the public how it plans to secure fuel, which is a prerequisite for building nuclear-powered submarines.”
The government plans to announce a blueprint for the development of nuclear-powered submarines around late May. The plan is expected to include principles of development, construction plans, Korea’s stance on nuclear nonproliferation and the overall project timeline.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
댓글
0