South Korea targets mid-2030s launch of first nuclear-powered sub
· UPIAug. 4 (Asia Today) -- South and North Korea are simultaneously pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, raising the prospect of an undersea arms race that could reshape the security landscape around the Korean Peninsula.
The Financial Times reported July 28 that the competition could extend beyond inter-Korean tensions and affect the wider balance of maritime power between the United States and China in Northeast Asia.
South Korea is moving ahead with its Jang Bogo-N program with U.S. backing, while North Korea is seeking a technological breakthrough through its expanding military relationship with Russia.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, who publicly announced the program May 26, said the government aims to launch the lead vessel in the mid-2030s.
The submarine would use low-enriched uranium containing less than 20% uranium-235. The government plans to develop and construct both the hull and reactor domestically.
The vessel was initially being considered at about 5,000 tons, but its planned displacement is understood to have increased to between 7,000 and 8,000 tons after North Korea disclosed construction of what it described as an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
That would place the South Korean vessel near the size of the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, which displace about 7,800 tons submerged.
South Korea's project would represent a major expansion from the Navy's existing 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Chang-ho-class submarines and its newer 3,600-ton vessels.
Building a submarine of the proposed size would require expanded shipyard infrastructure and new facilities designed to provide radiation shielding and support nuclear-reactor installation and maintenance.
The decision to use low-enriched uranium would follow the model adopted by France for its Barracuda-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, including the lead vessel Suffren, rather than the highly enriched uranium used in U.S. and British naval reactors.
The French approach is regarded in South Korea as a possible model for operating a nuclear-powered submarine while limiting nuclear proliferation concerns.
Nuclear propulsion would allow the submarine to remain underwater for far longer than a conventional diesel-electric vessel, giving it greater speed, endurance and flexibility in tracking North Korean submarines armed with ballistic missiles.
The Jang Bogo-N could therefore become a central component of South Korea's efforts to detect and neutralize a potential submarine-launched missile attack before launch.
North Korea appears to be ahead in displaying a full-size submarine hull. Pyongyang says the vessel under construction will be nuclear-powered and capable of carrying strategic weapons.
Analysts, however, have questioned whether North Korea has developed a functioning compact naval reactor and the systems needed to integrate it safely into a submarine.
"North Korea has shown us the physical submarine," Moon Geun-sik, a former submarine commander and professor at Hanyang University, told the Financial Times. "But we need to verify whether the reactor and the technology for the reactor interface inside it are functioning properly."
Miniaturizing and sealing a reactor and reducing underwater noise and vibration are considered among the most difficult technical challenges.
A nuclear-powered submarine that produces excessive mechanical noise could be detected early by anti-submarine surveillance systems, negating much of the operational advantage provided by nuclear propulsion.
North Korea could seek assistance from Russia in exchange for its military support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, analysts said. Pyongyang could also attempt to obtain submarine technology through cyberattacks.
The undersea arms competition in Northeast Asia is moving beyond the conceptual stage as both Koreas pursue vessels intended for eventual operational deployment.
North Korea must still demonstrate that its planned 8,700-ton submarine has an operational reactor and reliable propulsion system.
South Korea faces a different set of obstacles. Seoul may need to revise or supplement its civilian nuclear cooperation arrangements with Washington and secure a stable supply of low-enriched uranium for military propulsion.
The existing South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation framework restricts Seoul's enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear material without U.S. consent. The supply and handling of submarine fuel would therefore require additional negotiations and safeguards.
Marine security analysts said the success of the Jang Bogo-N program will depend not only on South Korea's engineering capabilities but also on its ability to reach a detailed agreement with Washington.
The development of nuclear-powered submarines by either Korea could alter naval operations across the region, particularly as China rapidly expands its own nuclear submarine fleet and the United States seeks greater defense contributions from its allies.
Successful deployment would amount to a significant improvement in South Korea's naval capabilities and could complicate the calculations of North Korea and other potential adversaries, analysts said.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260803010000508