South Korea Issues Bill on Nuclear-Powered Submarines

South Korea’s Ministry of Defence on Wednesday published a public notice for a bill on nuclear-powered submarines, as Seoul pursues the construction of such strategic vessels through cooperation with the United States. The proposed special bill is designed to provide a legal foundation for the Jang Bogo N project, which aims to build at least three 8,000-tonne nuclear-powered attack submarines armed with conventional weapons by the mid-2030s. The submarines will use highly enriched, low-enriched uranium with an enrichment level below 20 percent. South Korea received a green light from the US to push for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines following a high-level meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump last October. A key point in the bill is a provision stating that the nuclear-powered submarine programme is not intended to develop, produce, or possess nuclear weapons. The bill also stipulates that South Korea will not engage in any actions to divert nuclear materials for other purposes or undermine the international non-proliferation regime, an effort to affirm its commitment to non-proliferation obligations. The draft law mandates compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in implementing nuclear safeguards. It also commits to ensuring public safety and environmental protection from radioactive materials. A defence ministry official noted that the nuclear-powered submarine programme is the first case where a weapons system is integrated with nuclear energy, adding that the current legal framework has limitations as it covers various legal domains, including defence procurement and nuclear safety management. The proposed bill also calls for the establishment of a strategy committee under the prime minister to discuss follow-up measures, including the siting of project facilities, and requires the defence minister to review the programme’s implementation plan every 10 years. The Ministry of Defence plans to gather public feedback until 7 September before submitting the bill to the National Assembly.