South Korea targets launch of first nuclear-powered submarine by mid-2030s

South Korea is on track to launch its first domestically built nuclear-powered submarine in the mid-to-late 2030s, following fresh support from the United States during last week’s summit between the two nations’ leaders, a senior defence ministry official said.

According to Won Chong-dae, Deputy Defence Minister for Resources Management, progress has been made on the critical issue of nuclear fuel supply — long considered the most complex obstacle in Seoul’s bid to develop nuclear-powered submarines. The breakthrough, he said, has created the conditions necessary for the project to advance, Yonhap reports.

“We expect that it will be possible to launch the submarine in the mid-to-late 2030s if South Korea secures fuel through consultations with the US and begins construction in the late 2020s,” Won stated during a Cabinet meeting attended by President Lee Jae Myung at the presidential office in Yongsan.

Won also revealed that the government plans to establish an interagency task force to oversee the construction of the nuclear-powered submarine, which would mark a milestone in South Korea’s naval modernization efforts.

The remarks come after a bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Gyeongju last Wednesday. During that meeting, President Lee Jae Myung urged US President Donald Trump to authorize Seoul’s access to nuclear fuel supplies for conventionally armed submarines — a move, he argued, that would bolster South Korea’s ability to track North Korean and Chinese vessels and reduce the operational burden on US forces in the region.

The following day, President Trump announced on social media that he had granted approval for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard operated by Hanwha Ocean, one of South Korea’s leading defence contractors.

Following the annual security talks in Seoul, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that Washington would cooperate closely with other agencies to implement Trump’s pledge “in a deliberate manner.”

“President Trump wants his allies to be strong,” Hegseth said, emphasizing that the Pentagon will coordinate with relevant departments to facilitate the submarine project.

Won noted that South Korea has already secured key technologies necessary for building a nuclear-powered submarine, including the reactor and weapons systems, and that safety verification work is currently under way.

“As this will be the first case in which a reactor is installed in a submarine, we will make sure that we have the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks established at the same time,” he added.

By Vafa Guliyeva