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President Lee Jae-myung delivers remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Committee on Future Defense Strategy, held in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on May 26. / Photo via Yonhap News

The government unveiled a blueprint on May 26 to launch South Korea's first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s and deploy it to the Navy by the late 2030s.

To ensure autonomy and stability in the acquisition, maintenance, and repair of strategic assets, the administration planned to undertake the entire development and construction process domestically. The blueprint entails developing a long-cycle nuclear submarine capable of extended operations without refueling by utilizing low-enriched uranium—with an enrichment level under 20%—as its fuel source.

President Lee Jae-myung attended the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Committee on Future Defense Strategy in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, where he received the "Master Plan for the Development of the Republic of Korea's Nuclear-Powered Submarines" from Minister of National Defense An Kyu-back. The official formulation of the nuclear submarine plan comes seven months after President Lee secured support for the construction from US President Donald Trump during a bilateral summit last October.

"The nuclear-powered submarine, to be constructed on the foundation of a robust South Korea-US alliance, is a symbol of our resolve to take responsibility for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula through our own hands," President Lee remarked. "It will also contribute significantly to augmenting South Korea's defense industry capabilities."

President Lee also underscored the importance of regaining wartime operational control (OPCON). "The recovery of OPCON is a core element of self-reliant national defense," he stated. "It will serve as an opportunity to further solidify South Korea's standing as the primary actor in defending the Korean Peninsula."

He added, "Moving forward, through close consultations between South Korea and the United States, we will finalize a concrete roadmap for OPCON transition, including the specific timing of the transfer."

"A country with a steadfast, self-reliant defense embodies the true, complete form of a nation," President Lee emphasized. "We must integrate cutting-edge science and technology into our national defense to leap forward into a smart, robust military capable of consistently overwhelming adversaries in future warfare."

                                                                                                          Hong Seon-mi