Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is in South Korea where, among other things, he declared his support for South Korea’s ambition to build its own nuclear submarine. The submarine would be built at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, which is now owned by South Korea’s Hanwha Group, and the fuel would likely be provided by the U.S., reported the Korea Herald.
“President Trump wants our allies to be strong—and the Republic of Korea is a model ally,” Hegseth said. “Korea has an incredible shipbuilding industry, and we look forward to partnering with it a lot more, whether it’s in surface warfare or submarine development.” Hegseth, in Seoul for the 57th ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting, and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back affirmed that the 72-year-old alliance between the two countries is “stronger than ever” and agreed to expand cooperation across missile defense, space operations, and maintenance of U.S. naval vessels in South Korea.
“We need to increase our defense cooperation through a common-sense approach grounded in realism,” Hegseth said, praising Seoul’s pledge to boost defense spending and modernize its armed forces. “For the first time in history, we agreed to demonstrate the ability to maintain and repair US warships here in Korea, harnessing this country’s world-class shipbuilding capabilities.”
