【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】On October 29 local time, US President Trump arrived in South Korea and met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. According to Yonhap News, the leaders of South Korea and the United States held talks at the National Gyeongju Museum in Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongju City. Lee Jae-myung requested the United States to provide nuclear fuel for nuclear-powered submarines to enhance the combat capabilities of South Korean submarines.

In his opening remarks, Lee Jae-myung said: "I did not fully and thoroughly explain it before, which seems to have caused some misunderstandings. We are not seeking to obtain (nuclear-powered) submarines equipped with nuclear weapons. Diesel-electric submarines have limited underwater endurance, so there are limitations in tracking Chinese or North Korean submarines. If we can obtain nuclear fuel, we will use our own technology to build multiple (nuclear-powered) submarines equipped with conventional weapons and conduct defensive operations in the waters around the Korean Peninsula, which can also alleviate the burden on the US military."

Trump did not directly respond to Lee Jae-myung's request on the spot, but he said that the United States hopes to cooperate with South Korea in shipbuilding and joint defense. Trump said: "From the perspective of helping other countries, our defense is very important. We will handle it properly and we will cooperate with you."

South Korea officially announced its intention to build a nuclear submarine for the first time

Minister of National Security Kim Sung-joon introduced at a press conference after the meeting that in subsequent closed-door meetings, Trump expressed resonance with the point that "given the changes in the security situation, such as North Korea building nuclear propulsion submarines, South Korea indeed needs the capability to possess nuclear submarines," and agreed to further consultations on this issue.

Yonhap News stated that this is the first time the South Korean government has officially announced its intention to introduce nuclear-powered submarines.

The Chosun Daily reported that the South Korean president publicly requested the United States to provide nuclear fuel for nuclear weapon systems, which is unprecedented. The Korean media also believes that Lee Jae-myung's request for "supplying nuclear submarine fuel" instead of "providing nuclear submarine technology" could be interpreted as South Korea having made significant progress in small reactor technology for nuclear submarines.

In 2021, South Korea started construction of the "King Munmu Research Institute" in Gampo-eup, Gyeongju, for developing "next-generation small reactors," which is expected to be completed this year. The goal of the research institute is to develop small modular reactors (SMR), theoretically, these reactors can also be used for nuclear-powered submarines.

Yonhap News cited military sources saying: "We have completely mastered the submarine hull technology, and we just need to scale it up. As for the reactor part, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has conducted extensive research on civilian nuclear reactors and studied small modular reactor (SMR) systems, so although it will take time, it is not impossible." A South Korean government official explained: "Using small reactors for power generation is fine, but if used for military purposes, it must receive U.S. approval."

The Chosun Daily also noted that when South Korea announced a specific weapons program, it explicitly mentioned a specific country other than North Korea, which is an extremely rare statement. The Korean media evaluated that this indicates that the Lee Jae-myung government is willing to join the U.S. so-called "balancing China" activities at the cost of certain consequences.

However, later, Kim Sung-joon tried to downplay it. When asked whether Lee Jae-myung's request was intended to follow the U.S. "balancing China," Kim replied: "The president's statement was not specifically targeting a particular country's submarine, but rather about dealing with submarines in the seas of North Korea and China. Submarines are stealth assets that are difficult to detect, so it is necessary to track any submarines in the surrounding seas."

Bloomberg reported that if Trump agrees to provide South Korea with submarine nuclear fuel, it would become the second similar agreement the U.S. has reached in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, the U.S. and the UK reached an agreement with Australia to transfer materials and equipment needed for future nuclear-powered submarines.

Yonhap News stated that if the U.S. provides assistance like supporting the Australian nuclear submarine project, the development progress of South Korea's nuclear submarine would be greatly accelerated.

Trump and Lee Jae-myung meet in Gyeongju, South Korea IC photo

Revising the Korea-US Atomic Energy Agreement

Regarding the revision of the Korea-US Atomic Energy Agreement, Lee Jae-myung said he believed Trump had already supported it and hoped Trump would instruct relevant departments to accelerate negotiations on issues such as spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment.

The current Korea-US Atomic Energy Agreement is valid until 2035, stipulating that South Korea must obtain U.S. approval to carry out uranium enrichment with a concentration below 20%, and cannot perform spent fuel reprocessing. In August this year, several diplomatic sources told the Hanmin Daily that the South Korean government is discussing the revision of the agreement with the United States, hoping to relax restrictions on uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing.

Kim Sung-joon said at a press conference: "Regarding the issue of nuclear submarine fuel, the current Korea-US Atomic Energy Agreement may need to be adjusted to make it possible. Because nuclear fuel is used for military purposes, and the current agreement does not apply to military use, therefore it must be revised to complete the process."

Bloomberg News pointed out that the United States and South Korea signed an atomic energy agreement in the 1970s, and the U.S. wanted to prevent nuclear proliferation through these restrictions and promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Although South Korea insists that the revision of the agreement is for environmental protection and the development of civil nuclear projects, allowing spent fuel reprocessing may still provide a way to develop nuclear weapons.

This January, the U.S. placed South Korea on the lowest category of the Department of Energy's "Sensitive and Other Designated Nations List" (SCL). Yonhap News pointed out that researchers from "sensitive countries" who want to work in facilities or research institutions under the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as participate in related research, must go through more rigorous certification procedures.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Energy explained in April that being listed does not necessarily indicate an "adversarial relationship" with the U.S., "many countries on the list are countries with which we often cooperate on various energy, science, technology, counter-terrorism, and non-proliferation issues." The spokesperson stated, "This designation does not prohibit scientific or technological cooperation. Relevant visits and cooperation must undergo internal review beforehand."

Additionally, Lee Jae-myung sought to promote the "modernization" of the South Korea-US alliance. He promised Trump that South Korea will increase its defense budget and develop its defense industry to ease the burden on the U.S. military. Regarding the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, he said that if Trump is willing to play the role of a "peacemaker," South Korea is willing to provide help.

Recently, Trump has continuously boasted about his role in peace, claiming that "he resolved eight conflicts during his term." Lee Jae-myung also "played along," complimenting Trump's "mediation ability" in person. He told Trump, "If you use this powerful ability to achieve the great achievement of creating peace on the Korean Peninsula, it will be a major contribution to world history."

The US Naval Institute News (USNI) published an article in June stating that the South Korean Navy currently has 21 submarines, namely the "Jang Bogo" class, "Son Won-il" class, and "Isan An Chang-ho" class conventional power submarines. According to Yonhap News, on October 22, the first 3,600-ton submarine "Gwanggaeto the Great" held a launching ceremony and is expected to be delivered to the South Korean Navy by the end of 2027.

Additionally, Trump recently repeatedly stated that he hopes to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea. However, Trump announced on the 29th that they failed to coordinate the schedule.

According to KCNA in September, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, when giving a speech, said that if the United States gives up its obsession with denuclearization of North Korea and recognizes reality, he hopes to coexist peacefully with North Korea. Kim Jong-un mentioned in his speech that he personally still has "beautiful memories" of Trump. But he also clearly stated that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons.

Lee Jae-myung said that Trump was willing to meet with Kim Jong-un, creating a "peaceful atmosphere" on the Korean Peninsula, providing an opportunity to "create a wave of peace." He added that South Korea will "look forward to and continue to pay attention to Trump's future activities."

Previously, Lee Jae-myung told CNN that the "crucial" alliance between South Korea and the United States makes handling relations with China "a bit delicate." He emphasized that although China and South Korea have different ideologies and political systems, South Korea "cannot shut out China."

Regarding South Korean President's statements on China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia-kun stated on August 27 that a healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China-South Korea relationship is in the fundamental interests of both countries' people and benefits the peace, stability, and development of the region and even the world. This is a consensus between China and South Korea.

"The development of China-South Korea relations stems from the common interests of both sides, does not target a third party, and should not be influenced by factors from a third party," Guo Jia-kun pointed out. The Chinese government maintains continuity and stability in its policy towards South Korea. It hopes that South Korea will move in the same direction as China and work together to promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of the China-South Korea strategic partnership.

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