South Korea pushes to build first nuclear-powered submarine by mid-2030s

Korea is seeking to build its first nuclear-powered submarine by mid-2030s, the government said Tuesday, adding that construction will be done domestically. It also pledged to use low-enriched uranium fuel and comply with international nonproliferation obligations. The Ministry of National Defense announced the country's first road map for the development of nuclear submarines, laying out the government’s approach to developing and acquiring the platform and publicly presenting the framework for the project. The plan comes after an agreement reached during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump last October, when Washington expressed support for Seoul's development of a nuclear submarine and its pursuit of civilian uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes. Under the road map, the government set a goal of launching its first nuclear submarine in the mid-2030s and deploying it in the late 2030s. The ministry also said that shipbuilding will be done domestically, rather than at a U.S. shipyard, in an effort to secure self-relian