US and South Korea to Hold Seoul Talks on Nuclear Submarine Cooperation and Investment Commitments
The two allies will meet next week to address implementation of last year’s summit agreement. Priorities differ on nuclear-powered submarines and a US$350 billion investment commitment.
South China Morning PostSouth Korea and the United States will hold talks in Seoul next week on implementation of last year’s summit agreement. U.S. approval for nuclear fuel use in South Korean submarines, while Washington wants progress on Seoul’s US$350 billion investment pledge made in return for a lower tariff rate.
President Donald Trump has said the submarines should be manufactured at shipyards in Philadelphia, backed by the South Korean conglomerate Hanwha. President Lee Jae Myung has insisted that South Korea should be responsible for building the submarines. South Korea was planning to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the middle of the 2030s, officials said on Tuesday.
U.S. Virginia-class submarines. The United States wants South Korea to play a more active role in countering China’s growing influence as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.
The two sides remain far apart on whether South Korea could deter North Korea on its own. Taking full wartime operational control (OPCON) for its military from the South Korea-US Joint Forces Command is a prerequisite for South Korea to deter North Korea on its own.
U.S. Four-star general who oversees 28,500 American and South Korean troops. U.S. President Donald Trump for a dinner in Gyeongju last October.
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