South Korea and the US sign nuclear submarine construction agreement

South Korea and the United States have finalized details of an agreement to build nuclear submarines, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung announced this Friday. He also explained that both countries had decided to “proceed with the construction of nuclear submarines.”

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“We have concluded bilateral negotiations on trade, tariffs and security, which are among the biggest variables for our economy and security,” Prime Minister Lee told reporters.

It added that South Korea has received “the necessary support (from the United States) to expand its authority for uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing.”

Life inside a US nuclear submarine in the Arctic

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Submarine surfaces in the North Pole — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

Chief Petty Officer Jacob Green, head of the submarine Hampton, supervises two helmsmen in delicate maneuvers to maneuver and dive the submarine under the ice — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

Life on board — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

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Experts working to find where Hampton appears on a large ice floe — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

Officers play cribbage in Hampton's Wardroom to kill time — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston — 5/11
Officers play cribbage in Hampton’s Wardroom to kill time — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

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Temperatures at Camp Baleia, built entirely on a giant ice cube, can drop as low as 40 degrees below zero — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

Hampton's crew remains underwater for weeks at a time, in confined spaces with limited food and no communication with the outside world. — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston — 7/11
Hampton’s crew remains underwater for weeks at a time, in confined spaces with limited food and no communication with the outside world. — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

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Outdoor camping — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

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The frigid operations allowed the Navy to consider ways to improve submarine and underwater communications in such extreme environments. — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

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At Hampton, the crew deals with activities and daily life in the Arctic. — Photo: NYT/Kenny Halston

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Arctic region — Photo: NYT/Kenny Holston

In some areas, the water is shallow, forcing crews to walk a narrow path between two threats: the ice above and the ocean floor below.

“The countries committed to continuing their cooperation with the Working Group on Shipbuilding to increase the number of combat-ready U.S. commercial and warships,” the joint document states.

The document states that the US government has given “consent” to build the submarine, but it remains unclear where it will be built. America’s nuclear submarine technology is considered one of the most closely guarded military secrets on the planet.

The memorandum stipulates that the South Korean government will spend $25 billion to purchase U.S. military equipment by 2030 and provide full support to the U.S. Forces Korea at $33 billion.