A new book on South Korea's nuclear submarine ambitions, written by 11 experts including Jeong Seong-jang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, has been published by Blue & Note under the title "Korea's Nuclear Security Project 5: Nuclear Submarine Development and Operational Strategy."
"North Korea's nuclear threat is no longer confined to land and air — it is moving underwater," Jeong said Thursday.
He added that if North Korea moves in earnest to develop submarines armed with nuclear warheads and strategic nuclear submarines, South Korea would face a far more daunting challenge than simply intercepting launched missiles. "The question becomes how to find a nuclear-armed submarine, keep it in sight and track it to the end," he said.
The book takes that concern as its starting point, framing the debate over nuclear-powered submarines not as a simple matter of being for or against, but as a question of executable national strategy. It compares the development and operational experience of nuclear-powered submarines in the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, India and Brazil, and analyzes the strategic value and operational direction of the non-nuclear-armed attack submarine, or SSN, that South Korea should prioritize acquiring.
The book also offers concrete proposals on the core challenges of a South Korean nuclear submarine program — securing nuclear fuel and fostering South Korea-US cooperation — including a "South Korea builds, US fuels" model that accounts for the state of the American submarine industrial base, as well as avenues for reactor-hull integration, maintenance, education and safety cooperation with France, which has experience operating naval nuclear propulsion systems using low-enriched uranium.
"A nuclear submarine is not simply a project to build a few vessels," Jeong said. "It is a national strategic system that requires decades of parallel preparation — covering reactors and nuclear fuel, crew and maintenance personnel, safety frameworks, dedicated facilities, consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and alliance diplomacy."
youknow@heraldcorp.com
