Lee on Tuesday urged faster efforts to secure the submarines, describing them as key strategic assets for the country’s future defense capabilities.
“We need to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and drone technologies, while accelerating the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, which are key strategic assets for future defense capabilities,” Li said during a meeting with defense officials.
He described the submarines as “a symbol of our will to assume responsibility for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.”
The comments come as Alison Hooker, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, is expected to lead an interagency delegation to Seoul in the coming weeks to launch bilateral working groups aimed at implementing agreements reached at last year’s summit between Lee and US President Donald Trump.
These agreements included US cooperation on Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines – a long-awaited capability that would allow the South Korean Navy to remain underwater much longer than its diesel-powered fleet, but which would also require sensitive nuclear fuel and safeguards arrangements.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu briefed Lee on the government’s plan to launch the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s – a move that could reshape the security landscape in Asia and raise concerns about regional military competition.
