The government has announced a goal to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s and deploy it to the Navy in the late 2030s.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back reported the 'Basic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Korea's Nuclear-Powered Submarine' (hereinafter referred to as the Basic Plan) at the 'First Future Defense Strategy Committee' held in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 26th, with President Lee Jae-myung in attendance.
The Basic Plan is a document in which the Korean government officially presents for the first time, domestically and internationally, the direction of promotion for nuclear submarine development, and includes five principles to be applied in the acquisition and operation of nuclear submarines.
Minister Ahn stated, 'We will proceed with the project with the goal of launching the first nuclear-powered submarine in the mid-2030s.' Based on this, the policy is to operationalize it from the late 2030s onwards.
He noted that the nuclear fuel for the nuclear submarine reactor will use low-enriched uranium with an enrichment level of less than 20%, and will be developed to enable 'long-cycle' operation to minimize nuclear fuel replacement.
Furthermore, he stated, 'We will develop and build nuclear-powered submarines in the Republic of Korea' and 'We will independently build them by utilizing our own reactor and shipbuilding technology.'
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That's it :)
