South Korea pushes nuclear-powered submarine plan

The South Korean government has announced plans to develop nuclear-powered attack submarines, with the first vessel to be operational by the mid-2030s, as part of an effort to strengthen its naval capabilities.

Analysts point out that when taken with developments already under way or being considered by China, North Korea and Japan, it is clear that northeast Asia is already very firmly embroiled in an undersea arms race.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled Seoul's plan at a Tuesday meeting of the Future Defense Strategy Committee at the naval base in Jinhae, emphasizing the importance of developing a system to counter North Korea's advances in submarine technology .

The plan — known as the Jangbogo-N Project, after the South's first submarine — emphasizes that nuclear-powered submarines "possess dramatically enhanced operational capabilities compared to existing diesel submarines."

The submarines will therefore "play a core role in responding to threats such as North Korea's submarine-launched nuclear and missile threats," according to the Defense Ministry.

The Ministry described the plan as a "national strategic project" that will utilize South Korea's shipbuilding and nuclear power technologies, with a decade-long construction period expected and and a 30-year operational life.

Seoul is pushing ahead with the plan after the United States endorsed South Korea's pursuit of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, with Washington also pledging to help its Asian ally build the vessels, including their propulsion systems.

There appear to be some wrinkles to iron out between the two countries.