South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Special Act on Nuclear-Powered Submarines

Yoo Yong-won, a lawmaker from South Korea's People Power Party (PPP), proposed a draft of the Special Act on the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project on August 27, aiming to establish a dedicated legal basis for introducing nuclear-powered submarines to South Korea. The South Korean government is currently advancing the nuclear-powered submarine project as a national strategic initiative.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Yoo stated that the existing Defense Acquisition Program Act and Nuclear Safety Act have limitations in fully reflecting the unique characteristics of military nuclear propulsion systems, making it necessary to enact a special law. The draft proposes establishing a "Nuclear-Powered Submarine Strategic Committee" under the president's leadership to deliberate on major related matters.

This arrangement differs from the draft of the Special Act on the Acquisition, Operation, and Safety Management of Nuclear-Powered Submarines previously announced by the Ministry of National Defense (MND). The MND version proposes establishing a strategic committee chaired by the Prime Minister, while Yoo's proposal elevates the committee to an institution directly under the president, with the president serving as chair and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) participating in related work.

Yoo stated that the nuclear-powered submarine project requires an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism and a ten-year review system to ensure project continuity and policy consistency. The draft also proposes that regulatory functions such as licensing and safety inspections for nuclear-powered submarines should be centralized under the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), rather than being handled by the military.

The bill has 31 co-sponsors, including 30 PPP lawmakers and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon. The PPP plans to push for incorporating the main elements of Yoo's proposal into discussions while the MND's draft version is undergoing hearing procedures. The related hearing procedures are expected to continue until September 7.

The South Korean government is advancing a Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine program codenamed "Jang Bogo K-N Project," which plans to use low-enriched uranium fuel with an enrichment level below 20%. Under current plans, the first submarine is scheduled to be launched in the mid-2030s and enter service in the late 2030s.