Gyeongju: South Korea should be able to launch its first domestically built nuclear-powered submarine in the mid-to-late 2030s, as the United States signaled support for Seoul's efforts following last week's summit between the two countries' leaders, a defense ministry official said Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the two sides have made progress on the fuel supply issue, the most challenging part of the discussions on South Korea's bid to build its own nuclear submarines, creating conditions for the project to move forward, Won Chong-dae, a deputy defense minister for resources management, said during a Cabinet meeting.

Won stated that launching the submarine in the mid-to-late 2030s is feasible if South Korea secures fuel through consultations with the U.S. and begins construction in the late 2020s. He also mentioned the government's plan to set up an interagency task force for the nuclear-powered submarine construction.

During their summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju last Wednesday, President Lee Jae Myung openly asked U.S. President Trump to allow his country to secure nuclear fuel supplies for conventionally armed submarines to better track North Korean and Chinese vessels, saying it would ease the operational burden for U.S. forces.

Trump announced in a social media post the following day that he has given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard, run by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean.