South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines will contribute to the alliance with the US by boosting Seoul’s deterrence capabilities, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Monday.
Cho made the remarks during a breakfast meeting with the US Undersecretary of War for Policy, Elbridge Colby, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Colby is visiting Seoul this week following the Pentagon's release of a new National Defence Strategy, which includes its policy direction for the Korean Peninsula and other alliance issues.
"Minister Cho, in particular, recalled that nuclear-powered submarine cooperation will contribute to the alliance (with the US) by strengthening South Korea's deterrence capabilities, calling for the need for concrete implementation steps through working-level talks," the ministry said in a statement.
Colby appreciated South Korea’s commitment as a "model ally" to playing a leading role in the defence of the Korean Peninsula by strengthening its own defence capabilities.
The US Department of War will play an active role in ensuring that key agreements reached at the summit talks are swiftly implemented, he added.
In November last year, South Korea and the US signed a trade agreement that includes a $150 billion Korean investment in the US shipbuilding sector, and both countries agreed to “move forward” on building nuclear-powered submarines.
Under the agreement, South Korea will build nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new partnership with Washington in shipbuilding, artificial intelligence and the nuclear industry.
In a related development, South Korea’s defence ministry said the new US defence strategy placed an emphasis on Seoul's own capabilities to play a more "leading role" in the security of the Korean Peninsula.
The National Defence Strategy said South Korea is capable of taking "primary" responsibility to deter North Korea with "critical, but more limited" US support.
South Korea to build two new nuclear reactors
Meanwhile, South Korea also announced on Monday that it will construct two new nuclear reactors by 2038 amid growing demand for clean energy.
Speaking at a news conference in Seoul, Climate Minister Kim Sung-whan said the government will conduct necessary procedures to complete building two large-scale nuclear reactors between 2037-2038 as planned under the 11th basic plan devised by the previous government.
He said to cut carbon emissions in the energy sector, it is necessary to reduce power generation through coal and liquefied natural gas.
"Therefore, we need power system operations centered on renewable energy and nuclear power," he added.
Last week, two public opinion polls commissioned by the government showed that an average of 80 percent of respondents said nuclear power is needed, with 60 percent supporting the additional construction plan.
State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co (KHNP) will soon begin a bidding process to select the host cities or towns for the two reactors by 2027.
KHNP aims to receive the nuclear safety watchdog's approval for the plan by 2031 to complete the construction between 2037-2038, according to the ministry.
