As South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with Trump for a second time, he suddenly took a dangerous step.

Lee Jae-myung publicly proposed the plan to build a nuclear submarine in front of Trump, even giving the reason that South Korea's current diesel-electric submarines "are difficult to effectively track Chinese and North Korean submarines," and thus hopes the United States can provide key nuclear fuel.

In the context of the U.S. promoting the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and trying to counter China, South Korea actively linked its nuclear submarine plan with "tracking Chinese submarines," revealing its sinister intentions clearly.

Additionally, it is reported that South Korea already has more than 20 conventional submarines. The newly launched "Gwanggaeto the Great" class 3,600-ton submarine is sufficient to deal with North Korean submarines, but the desire to develop a nuclear submarine essentially aims to break military restrictions through the United States.

According to reports from the Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo" and Yonhap News, the small modular reactor at the Gyeongju "King Munmu Research Institute" is expected to be completed this year. Internal assessments by the South Korean military indicate that the technology for hull manufacturing and sonar systems is completely self-reliant, leaving only the issue of nuclear fuel as a hurdle.

However, the current "South Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement" explicitly states that the enrichment level of uranium in South Korea must not exceed 20%, and the use of it for military purposes is prohibited,

That is to say, without the U.S. allowing it, even the most advanced technology would be "a cook without rice." This is likely the core reason why Lee Jae-myung proactively "appealed to the U.S."

As for Lee Jae-myung's request, Trump did not make a clear statement at the time. It was the next day when Trump announced on social media that he agreed to South Korea building nuclear submarines to replace old diesel submarines.

But in exchange for Trump's approval, South Korea paid a tangible price. Trump simultaneously announced that South Korea had committed to buying American oil and gas, pushing forward 35 billion dollars in investments to the U.S., and Korean companies will also invest 60 billion dollars in the U.S. economy.

This mutual request and response have made South Korea's military ambitions no longer hidden, while the U.S. strategy of using military cooperation to "bind allies and contain China" has become increasingly clear.

It is worth noting that the Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo" has keenly noticed that in the past, when South Korea mentioned weapons plans, it almost always referred only to North Korea. Now, however, it has rarely included China, apart from North Korea.

According to Korean media, this detail almost contains a clearer signal: the Lee Jae-myung government has apparently prepared to bear the corresponding costs, such as potentially affecting relations with neighboring countries and causing fluctuations in regional security patterns.

Nevertheless, Lee Jae-myung still intends to align with the U.S.-led "contain China" camp.

Regarding this, South Korean National Security Advisor Wi Seong-lo seemed to take it seriously, arguing that it was not specifically targeting any country. But whether this is convincing is something South Korea itself probably knows best.

To a large extent, South Korea's ambition may go far beyond "building a few nuclear submarines."

The current "South Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement" prohibits South Korea from using nuclear technology for military purposes, and limits uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. During this meeting, Lee Jae-myung also simultaneously requested Trump to push for revisions to the agreement.

It should be noted that once the spent fuel reprocessing technology is mastered, it can extract weapon-grade nuclear materials. South Korea secretly conducted uranium enrichment experiments in the early 2000s, raising the concentration of uranium-235 to 77% (close to the 90% standard for weapons), indicating that its nuclear potential is already undeniable.

By seeking to revise the agreement through the nuclear submarine plan, it may be an attempt to "use the boat to get out to sea," gradually breaking through nuclear technology restrictions, and laying the groundwork for future "nuclear capabilities."

No matter what, this trend will undoubtedly bring impact to the Northeast Asian security framework.

If South Korea's nuclear submarine plan is implemented, North Korea will certainly see it as an "upgrade of nuclear threats," which may accelerate the advancement of nuclear armament and missile technology, forming a vicious cycle.

And China, as the target of South Korea's "mention," cannot remain indifferent either. The risk of a regional arms race is rising.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566859141646516799/

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