GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA, 30 October (H.S.): United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has given approval for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, a significant development in the military alliance between the two nations. The announcement came a day after the leaders met and reached a broad trade and investment deal.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, President Trump stated, I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now.

He added that the submarine would be constructed in the Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol' U.S.A., predicting a BIG COMEBACK for American shipbuilding.

The approval follows a direct request from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during their meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

President Lee argued for access to fuel for nuclear-propelled submarines, emphasizing that their superior endurance is necessary to effectively track submarines from North Korea and China. He clarified that the request was for conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, not vessels carrying nuclear weapons.

This major decision is part of a larger agreement that includes a commitment from South Korea to invest $350 billion in the United States, including the shipbuilding industry, in exchange for lower US tariffs on South Korean automobile exports.

The sharing of this highly sensitive nuclear propulsion technology, which the U.S. has previously only shared with the United Kingdom and, more recently, Australia under the AUKUS pact, is a significant policy shift. The move is expected to raise concerns in Beijing and Pyongyang.

However, the plan faces considerable logistical hurdles, as the Philadelphia shipyard, purchased by a South Korean company in 2024, is currently a commercial facility not equipped for the complex and sensitive work of building nuclear submarines.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar