Foreign Ministry Creates New "Nuclear Submarine Team" Ahead of U.S. Delegation's Visit to South Korea

Foreign and Defense Ministries Each Establish Nuclear Submarine Teams Under Their Structures...Aiming for Synergy
U.S. Delegation to Visit South Korea at the End of This Month

Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Yonhap News

It has been confirmed that a dedicated unit on nuclear-powered submarines has been established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the visit to South Korea by the U.S. delegation that will negotiate the security section of the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS) between South Korea and the United States.

According to an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 12, the ministry recently created a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Negotiation Team (Nuclear Submarine Team) under the North American Affairs Bureau. The team is reportedly composed of a director-level official and two staff members.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "South Korea and the United States reached a broad agreement on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines through the bilateral summit in November last year, and we established the Nuclear Submarine Team to conduct follow-up consultations."

The Nuclear Submarine Team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take part in the pan-government Nuclear Submarine Task Force (TF), which is centered on the Ministry of National Defense, and will serve as a consultation channel with the United States on the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines. In addition, South Korea and the United States are highly likely to have to conclude a separate agreement to procure fuel for nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, and the team is expected to be responsible for the related working-level preparations as well. The Ministry of National Defense also set up a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Acquisition Promotion Team under its Force Policy Bureau last month.

The idea appears to be that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense will each establish their own teams related to nuclear-powered submarines under their respective structures, while coordinating their work and creating synergy through the pan-government TF.

The U.S. delegation, which will discuss security cooperation included in the Joint Fact Sheet, such as nuclear-powered submarines, nuclear energy, and shipbuilding, is expected to visit South Korea as early as the end of this month.