Korea's nuclear-powered submarines could take on broader Indo-Pacific role
As South Korea moves ahead with plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the debate is shifting from whether the country needs them to where and how they should operate. South Korean military experts say Seoul has a strong case for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to counter North Korea, even if their initial mission is focused on waters around the Korean Peninsula. Over time, however,…
As South Korea contemplates acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, the focus is shifting from the necessity of such vessels to their potential operational areas and purposes. Military experts in South Korea argue that the country has a compelling case for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to counter the threat posed by North Korea, even if their initial mission is centered around waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
However, they anticipate that the submarines' role will gradually expand into the wider Indo-Pacific region, encompassing tasks such as safeguarding crucial sea routes and facilitating undersea collaboration with the United States.
These perspectives stem from a recent statement by a U.S. Navy official who emphasized that Seoul requires a clear security rationale and concept of operations for these high-cost assets. This remark has reignited discussions regarding the necessity of nuclear-powered submarines if South Korea's operations are primarily confined to its immediate vicinity.
Moon Keun-sik, a former head of the nuclear-powered submarine project team at Navy Headquarters and now a professor at Hanyang University's Graduate School of Public Policy in Seoul, contends that this argument fails to acknowledge the potential capabilities of nuclear-powered submarines.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
