South Korea to Issue Nuclear Submarine Bill through Cooperation with the US

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/Russian nuclear submarine/Ministry of Defense of Russia

JAKARTA - The South Korean Ministry of Defense on Wednesday issued a public notice regarding a bill (RUU) on nuclear-powered submarines, amid Seoul's efforts to build strategic ships through cooperation with the United States.

Yonhap reported on Wednesday, July 29, that the proposed special bill is designed to provide a legal basis for the Jang Bogo N project, which targets the construction of at least three 8,000-ton nuclear-powered attack submarines with conventional weapons by the mid-2030s.

The submarine will use low-enriched uranium fuel with a high level of enrichment below 20 percent.

South Korea received a green light from the US to push ahead with the development of nuclear-powered submarines after a high-level meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in October last year.

One of the important points in the bill is a provision stating that the nuclear-powered submarine program is not intended to develop, produce, or possess nuclear weapons.

The bill also stipulates that South Korea will not engage in any actions that divert nuclear materials for other purposes or undermine the international nonproliferation regime - an effort to affirm its commitment to nonproliferation obligations.

The draft law regulates compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in implementing nuclear safeguards procedures.

The bill also commits to ensuring public safety and environmental protection from radioactive materials, as well as establishing safety standards for the submarine.

One of the Ministry of Defense officials said the nuclear-powered submarine program was the first case where an armament system was integrated with nuclear energy.

"Given that this project covers various legal fields, including defense procurement and nuclear safety management, the current legal framework has limitations," the official said.

The proposed bill also calls for the establishment of a strategy committee under the prime minister to discuss further steps, including determining the location of project facilities. The defense minister will be required to review the implementation plan of the program every 10 years.

The Ministry of Defense plans to collect public input until September 7 before submitting the bill to the National Assembly.