Seoul: South Korea and the United States have reached a mutual understanding that nuclear submarines, which South Korea aims to develop, would play a crucial role in the alliance between the two nations, a foreign ministry official revealed on Tuesday. The comments came after bilateral discussions on nuclear cooperation held in Seoul, where both countries examined the prospects of South Korea's nuclear submarine initiative.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea is advancing plans to construct conventionally armed nuclear submarines. This move follows security agreements established during a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October. The recent two-day talks saw South Korea presenting in-depth strategies for the program, including a foundational development blueprint.

The foreign ministry official emphasized that the submarines would be developed using South Korean technology, a notion that the U.S. counterparts accepted. "I did not get the impression that the U.S. side had a different view," the official noted. The discussions were based on the understanding that the submarines would be built domestically in South Korea, with no objections from the U.S. side regarding this approach.