South Korea sets sights on nuclear submarine

Colin Demarest

A South Korean flag, predominantly white in color, waves against a clear blue sky. — A South Korean flag flies over Seoul. Photo: Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/Light

South Korea plans to build and launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s, a move in part meant to counter the growing arsenal of its neighbor, North Korea.

Why it matters: This massive undertaking will test the country's shipbuilding sector — often lauded in the U.S. — as well as international nonproliferation obligations.

If successful, it could reshape the security status quo in Asia. Only a handful of countries today operate nuclear-powered subs.

Driving the news: South Korea's defense ministry on Tuesday rolled out the "Basic Plan for the Development of Nuclear-Powered Submarines."

The blueprint lays out decades of commitment as well as the creation of more than 40,000 jobs.

Zoom in: Seoul is expected to use low-enriched uranium fuel.

Flashback: The U.S. in November announced it had "given approval for the ROK to build nuclear-powered attack submarines."

That followed a meeting of American and South Korean presidents.

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South Korea sets sights on nuclear submarine

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