South Korea Begins Building Nuclear-Powered Submarines

Seoul, 20 May 2026 — The South Korean military has begun the formal process to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, according to documents released by the Republic of Korea Navy, amid limited progress in security talks with the United States regarding Seoul’s push for the project. The ROK Navy recently submitted documents to the Chief of the Joint Staff (JCS) detailing the programme’s requirements, including the desired capability specifications, the number of systems needed, and projected deployment timelines, according to documents provided to opposition lawmaker Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party. Quoting Yonhap, the United States had previously approved Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered attack submarines and committed to cooperating with Seoul to meet the project’s needs, including fuel procurement routes, according to a joint factsheet released after the leaders’ summit. The JCS is currently reviewing the Navy’s proposal and is scheduled to hold a meeting at the end of this month to finalise the programme’s needs. Once defined, the programme typically proceeds to initial research and feasibility studies, followed by consultations with budget authorities on the total cost before entering the development phase.