Report: South Korea Questions Build Location for Nuclear Submarines

South Korea has plans to build its own nuclear submarines with American assistance, and the program is squarely aimed at countering the North Korean threat, its defense minister said Sunday in a TV appearance - but the capability would likely be built in Korea, not in the United States.

Last month, after the announcement that the U.S. would green-light a South Korean uranium-enrichment program to run nuclear submarines, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the vessels would be built at Korean-owned Hanwha Philly Shipyard, "right here in the good ol’ U.S.A." The yard is not presently equipped with the infrastructure, security controls or highly-trained workforce to build nuclear vessels, and some industry skeptics have questioned whether the administration's suggestion could be actualized; according to Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Seoul appears to favor building its nuclear vessels in Korea, where advanced facilities and conventionally-powered submarine expertise already exist.

"Philly Shipyard lacks such facilities," said Ahn on Sunday. "Domestic [Korean] construction is the most rational approach."

At present, only two private shipyards in the United States have nuclear submarine capability, and both are booked up for at least the next decade. Hanwha Philly Shipyard's new Korean owners have detailed out plans to build a high volume of commercial and government ships at the American yard, but at the complexity level of a fleet auxiliary or a tanker - far from the ultra-high-spec standard required for a submarine.

Ahn expressed confidence that Korean technologists would be able to deliver a nuclear sub capability on a rapid timetable using Korean facilities.

"Core technologies such as reactor assembly completion and power conversion device technology have advanced considerably," said Ahn, speaking to KBS. "While it typically takes over 10 years, we can achieve this in a shorter timeframe."

A nuclear-powered boat's stealth and endurance could provide a real deterrent effect and give North Korea pause, he suggested. Nuclear submarines do not run out of fuel or battery charge, and can stay submerged for weeks on end.

"Kim Jong-un, North Korean leader, probably won't be able to sleep well," he added. "[Whether] it might emerge in the east, west, or south—and its submerged capabilities and speed, it might send a chill down their spines."

The agreement with the U.S. also includes authorization for South Korea to produce high-enriched uranium, a necessary fuel ingredient for American-style naval reactors. The same fuel production infrastructure could be a stepping-stone towards a sovereign nuclear weapons program for South Korea, giving it an independent strike capability to counter the growing nuclear threat from Pyongyang - freeing Seoul from its reliance on the American nuclear umbrella to provide for national defense.