South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that it would be “extremely difficult” for Seoul to build its nuclear-powered submarines in the United States under current arrangements with Washington. The remarks came during a press conference on Wednesday, following a public exchange on social media regarding the proposed construction.
South Korea is poised to join a select group of nations operating nuclear-powered submarines after securing US approval for the supply of restricted nuclear fuel. However, the precise location for producing the submarines has yet to be finalised.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Seoul would construct the submarines at “the Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A.” Despite this assertion, President Lee stressed that the matter “still needs continued negotiation”, noting that building the vessels in the United States would face significant practical challenges.
“From our perspective, producing them there is extremely difficult realistically,” Lee said. “I fully understand the desire to do it, but we must realistically consider whether it is truly achievable.”
President Lee reiterated that South Korea’s position has consistently been to construct the submarines domestically, using the nation’s own technology. He clarified:
“What we requested was not ‘build it for us’ or ‘provide the technology’. Our stance was simply that we would build it using our own technology, so we only asked for approval to supply the fuel that is currently banned.”
The restricted fuel in question is essential for powering nuclear submarines and is tightly controlled due to the sensitive nature of US nuclear submarine technology, which is considered one of the most closely guarded military secrets worldwide.
The development of indigenous nuclear-powered submarines represents a major strategic step for South Korea, enhancing both its naval capabilities and regional deterrence amid growing security challenges in East Asia. Officials in Seoul emphasise that domestic construction would strengthen the country’s technological self-reliance while complying with international non-proliferation standards.
Key Details: South Korea Nuclear Submarine Plan
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nuclear fuel approval | Granted by the US for South Korea |
| Construction location | Undecided; US (Philadelphia) proposed, South Korea prefers domestic |
| Leadership comments | President Lee: construction in the US “extremely difficult realistically” |
| Strategic goal | Develop indigenous nuclear-powered submarine capability |
| Technology considerations | US nuclear submarine tech highly sensitive and restricted |
Negotiations between Washington and Seoul are expected to continue in the coming months, as both nations work to balance technological security with South Korea’s ambitions to enhance its naval fleet.