President Trump Restui Korea Selatan Bangun Submarine With Nuclear Power

President Lee Jae-myung met President Donald Trump. (Twitter/@Jaemyung_Lee)

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine planned to be built at a shipyard in Philadelphia.

President Trump wrote the message on his Truth Social account the day after he and President Lee Jae-myung agreed on the need for Seoul to secure fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, at their summit held to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (APEC).

"I have given them approval to build nuclear-powered submarines instead of ancient and much less agile diesel-powered submarines like they now have," wrote President Trump, quoted from The Korea Times October 30.

The approval was given considering the South US-Korean military alliance "stronger than ever," the US President said, adding, "A remarkable journey, with a great South Korean president."

In a subsequent post, President Trump said South Korea would build its nuclear-powered submarine at the Philadelphia shipyard in Pennsylvania, United States.

The Philadelphia shipyard, purchased by South Korea's Hanwha Group, has become a symbol of South Korea-US cooperation in shipbuilding, with Seoul committed to helping revive US shipbuilding as part of the country's latest trade deal.

"The shipbuilding in our country will soon bounce back," President Trump said on his social media accounts.

South Korea's nuclear fuel processing is regulated in a nuclear energy pact with Washington, which currently allows Seoul to enrich uranium below 20 percent with US approval.

South Korea needs approval from the US to secure enriched uranium fuel suitable to power the submarine.

In talks with President Trump the day before, President Lee said diesel-powered submarines had limited underwater navigation capabilities, thus limiting South Korea's military capability to track North Korean or Chinese submarines. He also asked for US approval to secure fuel for nuclear-powered submarines.

In a social media post, President Trump also announced that South Korea had agreed to pay $350 billion in exchange for tariff reductions and buying US oil and gas "in large quantities," saying investments from South Korean companies would exceed 600 billion US dollars.