US to share nuclear submarine technology with South Korea
Shafaq News – Seoul
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington will share nuclear submarine technology with South Korea, following a meeting with President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul.
In a statement, Trump said the submarines will be built at the Philadelphia shipyard, which was acquired by South Korea’s Hanwha Group last year.
President Lee told reporters that the agreement covers nuclear fuel technology only, not nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines would strengthen regional security and deepen naval coordination with US forces in the Pacific Ocean.
The discussions between the two leaders focused on modernizing the bilateral alliance and achieving a more balanced defense burden, part of broader efforts to reinforce security ties amid growing threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
US defense officials cautioned that any transfer of nuclear defense technology would require extensive congressional review and multiple security assurances, reflecting the legal and strategic complexities of the deal.
The agreement comes as North Korea continues to advance its own nuclear submarine and cruise missile projects, raising regional tensions.
While the project’s cost and scale have not been finalized, Seoul has already pledged $150 billion to enhance US shipbuilding capacity as part of wider defense investment talks.
The announcement is also part of a broader $350 billion South Korean investment package in the US economy, including large-scale energy purchases, bringing total bilateral investments to over $600 billion, according to Trump.
