South Korea’s request for submarine nuclear fuel from US denied: report

A Donga Ilbo report said the request was made through Kim Hyun-chong, the deputy chief of the National Security Office, who visited Washington last month

But the US says it has made it clear it will not transfer fuel for nuclear-powered submarines to any country, allies or not

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A submarine-launched ballistic missile pictured in an undisclosed location by North Korea‘s Central News Agency last October. South Korea wants nuclear-powered submarines to counter the nuclear-armed North. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:00pm, 6 Oct 2020Updated: 9:42pm, 6 Oct 2020

South Korea is pushing to secure nuclear fuel from the United States for its next-generation submarines, but its initial request has been turned down by Washington, a news report said.

A high-ranking official at the presidential Blue House neither confirmed nor denied the report published by the Donga Ilbo daily, calling for “caution” from journalists in handling ”issues related to national interests”.

Citing an unidentified diplomatic source in Washington, the daily said South Korea last month briefed the US side on its plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines and expressed its wish to be supplied with low-enriched uranium from the US to use as fuel for the subs.

The request was made through Kim Hyun-chong, the deputy chief of South Korea’s National Security Office, who visited Washington last month for talks focusing on issues related to North Korea.

The US, however, balked at the request. An official told the daily that the US government has made it a rule not to transfer fuel for nuclear-powered submarines to any country, regardless of whether they are allies or not – in line with its principle of non-proliferation.

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