Trump Authorizes South Korea to Build Nuclear-Powered Submarine

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has granted South Korea permission to build a nuclear-powered submarine, following a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. The move comes as part of a larger trade agreement between the two countries, which includes lower US auto tariffs in exchange for $350 billion in South Korean investment in the US. South Korea's request for nuclear-powered submarines reflects growing security concerns around the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea's growing nuclear-capable arsenal and China's increasingly aggressive military posture.

Key Takeaways:

• The US has granted South Korea permission to build a nuclear-powered submarine, which will be constructed in the Philadelphia shipyard acquired by Hanwha Group late last year.
• The submarine will have enhanced intelligence-gathering and surveillance capabilities, allowing South Korea to better track other nations' submarines.
• The agreement requires revisions to the existing nuclear agreement between the US and South Korea, which focuses on civilian uses of nuclear energy rather than military purposes.
• The US has long opposed the expansion of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, even for civilian purposes, and has expressed concerns that allowing South Korea to develop nuclear-powered submarines could complicate efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear program.
• US President Donald Trump granted South Korea permission to build a nuclear-powered submarine on Thursday.
• South Korea's national security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, stated that revisions to the existing nuclear agreement would be necessary if the US approves South Korea's request.
• The US has not responded to a request for comment on how South Korea will obtain the necessary technology to construct the nuclear-powered submarine.
• North Korea is also developing its own nuclear-powered submarine, with leader Kim Jong Un prioritizing the project.

Statistics:

• $350 billion: the amount of South Korean investment in the US, in exchange for lower US auto tariffs, as part of the wider trade agreement.
• 15 percent: the US auto tariff that South Korea agreed to in exchange for the investment.
• 6 countries: the number of countries with nuclear-powered submarine technology, including Russia, which has expressed willingness to help North Korea develop such a vessel.

Sources:

• [1] "U.S. grants South Korea permission to build nuclear-powered submarine," by Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Natalie Allison, The Washington Post, November 2022.
• [2] "South Korea eyes development of nuclear-powered submarines," by Adam Castleman, The Diplomat, October 2022.
• [3] "North Korea reveals images of its first nuclear-powered submarine," by Joshua Berlinger and Matt Rivers, CNN, March 2022.