On Tuesday, May 26, the Ministry of National Defense of South Korea announced the launch of a project to develop a nuclear submarine. "Nuclear submarines have significantly expanded operational capabilities compared to existing diesel-electric submarines, including a longer duration of stay underwater and high mobility. Therefore, they will play a key role in countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea," Naval News notes.
The development of nuclear submarines is a strategic project that requires the concentration of national capabilities based on the technologies of the Republic of Korea in the nuclear and shipbuilding industries. The project will be developed systematically and in stages, following the following five principles:
- Low-enriched uranium will be used as nuclear fuel for nuclear submarine reactors, and the reactors themselves will be designed in such a way as to ensure a long cycle of operation in order to minimize the need for nuclear fuel replacement.
- To ensure autonomy and stability in the procurement, support and maintenance process, nuclear submarines will be designed and built in South Korea.
- The platform and power plant will be developed using advanced global technologies accumulated over a long period of time in the civil nuclear and shipbuilding sectors of the Republic of Korea, which will ensure a high level of reliability and safety.
- The project is being implemented taking into account the entire life cycle of future submarines, from design and construction to operation, maintenance, nuclear fuel management and dismantling.
- The first nuclear submarine is planned to be launched in the mid-2030s and commissioned around 2040.
The South Korean Defense Ministry's official statement emphasizes that Seoul will steadily fulfill its nonproliferation obligations.
"The Republic of Korea firmly adheres to the position that it does not possess nuclear weapons in any form and will not develop nuclear weapons," the military department said, adding that together with the IAEA they will create a system to ensure that there is no threat of proliferation of nuclear materials.
The technologies and infrastructure accumulated during the construction of nuclear submarines will spread to related industries and become a key driving force for the development of the national industrial structure, Seoul believes. It is expected that the development of nuclear submarines will create more than 40,000 highly qualified jobs, as well as increase competitiveness.
"By adopting low-enriched uranium as a basis, which is usually understood as uranium enriched to less than 20%, South Korea appears to be demonstrating its commitment to international nonproliferation obligations, while reducing some political and non–critical aspects related to the supply of nuclear fuel," Naval News notes.
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