The move is seen as an attempt by Seoul to present its own timeline for the long-sought project, as follow-up talks with Washington have been slow.
The Ministry of National Defense, which leads an interagency task force on the issue, is expected to announce the plan, though the exact timing has yet to be finalized.
The basic plan is expected to outline the mission and role of the submarines, including their defensive nature, as well as Seoul’s commitment to complying with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
During a visit to Seoul in April, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said South Korea would need a separate safeguards arrangement with the agency if it moves ahead with nuclear-powered submarines, noting that “the nuclear material is not continuously accessible to inspectors” because of the nature of such vessels.
He stressed the need for “technically sound arrangements” to verify that the material is used only for propulsion and does not contribute to nuclear proliferation.
Nuclear-powered submarines have long been a priority for South Korea’s military, with discussions dating back to the Kim Young-sam administration. After years of failed attempts, the project gained momentum after South Korea and the United States agreed on the issue during their summit on the sidelines of last year’s APEC summit in Gyeongju.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back recently discussed cooperation on South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine program during his visit to the U.S., where he met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the acting secretary of the Navy and key members of Congress.
Powered by small nuclear reactors, nuclear-powered submarines can theoretically remain submerged for months and travel much faster than conventional diesel-electric submarines, making them a strategic asset.
South Korea’s military has reviewed plans to build at least four nuclear-powered submarines with a displacement of 5,000 tons or more after the mid-2030s.
As the project would mark the first domestic use of a nuclear reactor on a submarine, the government is also seeking to enact a special law on nuclear-powered submarines to establish a management framework for military nuclear energy.
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