Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party has introduced a special bill on South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program, aimed at putting the project on a stable legal footing. Thirty lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, including People Power Party members and independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon.
Yoo announced the bill at a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th, and outlined its five core objectives.
The five objectives are: consolidating independent regulatory authority under the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and writing nonproliferation transparency into law; establishing a control tower reporting directly to the president, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a member; setting up a special account and exceptions for procurement and budgeting; creating a dedicated nuclear-powered submarine program agency; and codifying unlimited state liability for damages along with a safety net for crew members.
Under the bill, licensing and safety inspection authority would shift away from military self-regulation and be consolidated under the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, an independent regulator. On nonproliferation, the bill would write into law the use of low-enriched uranium below 20% enrichment and the principle of carrying only conventional weapons, a step Yoo says would maximize Seoul's leverage in talks with the United States.
The bill would also elevate the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Strategy Committee, currently under the prime minister, to report directly to the president, and add the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a member, so that the program continues consistently regardless of changes in government.
The bill further provides the legal basis for a special account to overcome the constraints of single-year budgeting, and would allow advance purchase contracts for materials and the carryover of appropriated funds to prevent construction delays and unspent budgets. It calls for a new nuclear-powered submarine program agency as an integrated civilian-government-military body, with a statutory basis to ensure consistency in carrying out the project. It also stipulates full state liability for damages in the event of a nuclear accident and provides a basis for support to residents living near submarine bases.
"National security is not protected by vague hopes but by meticulous strategy and prepared action," Yoo said. "Amid a grave security crisis — North Korea's advances in tactical nuclear weapons, concerns over submarine technology transfers stemming from its closer military ties with Russia, and the recent scaling back of South Korea-U.S. joint exercises — securing an independent undersea deterrent is a decision for survival that can no longer be postponed."
"A nuclear-powered submarine can stay submerged indefinitely without refueling and is a strategic asset that carries out covert surveillance and reconnaissance and strikes on key targets in distant waters and in seas near an adversary," he said. "We must now move beyond debating whether it is needed and draw out substantive cooperation with the United States."
Yoo also noted that the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has begun reviewing options for cooperating with South Korea on acquiring nuclear-powered submarines as part of its work on the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. "Rather than responding after the U.S. review is complete, this is the golden window for diplomacy with Washington — right now, as the administration and Congress begin their review — to ensure our strategic rationale and our commitment to nonproliferation are reflected," he said.
"Our excellent shipbuilding capacity and small modular reactor technology are already powerful leverage that can fill gaps in the U.S. Navy's supply chain and support MASGA, or Make American Shipbuilding Great Again, the U.S. initiative to rebuild its shipbuilding industry," he added. "This special bill is the most robust, practical piece of legislation for meeting Washington's strict standards up front and moving forward without wavering, on a firm foundation of trust with the United States, all the way to actual commissioning."
