If South Korea develops their own nuclear powered submarines it would not be because of threats from North Korea, but instead preparing for war with China instead:
The chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has said the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) in South Korea could be considered in the future depending on its operational analysis, the presidential office said Sunday.
“From the standpoint of submarine warfare, I think it’s important as allies and partners to find the most efficient and effective ways to combine our capabilities in ways that most effectively defend our alliances and partnerships,” Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo said during an interview with the South Korean press Thursday on the runway of the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
“And if the operational analysis leads us to believe that, then we can move forward at a later date,” he added.
Boeing P-8A Poseidon delivered to S. Korean Navy A welcoming ceremony for a Boeing P-8A Poseidon, known as the “submarine killer,” takes place at the Naval Air Command in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on June 19, 2024. The maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft is one of six that the U.S. aerospace company will supply to the South Korean Navy. (Yonhap)
Maritime funVisitors board the 3,200-ton Eulji Mundeok destroyer at the Navy’s 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, as they attend the 2024 Pyeongtaek Maritime Festival on May 11, 2024. (Yonhap)
This may be signaling that the ROK may be interested in developing their own nuclear submarines in the future:
Adm. Yang Yong-mo (R), chief of naval operations, poses for a photo with Rear Adm. Thomas Buchanan (L), the commander of Submarine Group 10, which oversees Ohio-class submarines at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia on Feb. 2, 2024, in this photo provided by the South’s Navy on Feb. 4.
South Korea’s top naval officer visited a key naval submarine base in the United States for the first time and stressed the need to strengthen ties against growing North Korean threats, the South’s Navy said Sunday.
Adm. Yang Yong-mo, chief of naval operations, visited the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, a southeastern coastal base home to key nuclear submarines, on Friday (local time), according to the Navy.
It marks the first time for a South Korean Navy chief to visit the base, which operates nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), a key U.S. strategic asset. SSBN is a sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad that also includes intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.
Soldiers’ cold season drill Members of the Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit do a warm-up exercise at the naval port of Jinhae in the southeastern city of Changwon on Jan. 18, 2024, as part of their “extremely cold weather drill.” (Yonhap)
This would be a great upgrade to the ROK Navy’s ballistic missile defenses by fielding the SM-6:
The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible sale to South Korea of Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) shipborne missile interceptors and related equipment to help improve the Asian ally’s security capabilities, a government agency said Tuesday.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Department of Defense made the announcement on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale estimated to cost US$650 million.
The South Korean government has made a request to buy up to 38 SM-6 Block I missiles, vertical launch system canisters, training aids and other related equipment, according to DSCA.
Just another example of increasing trilateral cooperation:
South Korea, the United States and Japan staged a trilateral maritime interdiction exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula this week for the first time in seven years, the South Korean Navy said Tuesday, amid efforts to strengthen security coordination against North Korean threats.
The two-day exercise, which began Monday in international waters southeast of the southern resort island of Jeju along with anti-piracy drills, came after the three countries’ defense chiefs agreed to resume the trilateral exercises during their meeting in Singapore in June.
The three sides last staged a maritime interdiction exercise, which focuses on intercepting suspected smuggling vessels, in 2016 and an anti-piracy exercise in 2017.
A South Korean Navy cruise training group, including 151 naval cadets, arrived at a port in Maryland on Monday, for a visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance between South Korea and the United States. ROKS Hansando (ATH-81), a training ship, and ROKS Hwacheon (AOE-59), a combat support ship, berthed at the Port of Baltimore — one of 14 destinations during the Navy’s annual 141-day cruise program that set sail on Aug. 28.
It looks like this is the response to North Korea’s ICBM launch, holding a trilateral missile defense exercise:
South Korea, the United States and Japan held a joint naval drill, the South Korean Navy said Sunday, in a show of strengthened trilateral military cooperation against North Korea’s escalating nuclear threats.
The three allies staged a missile defense exercise in international waters between South Korea and Japan, Sunday, mobilizing three Aegis-equipped destroyers ― ROKS Yulgok Yi I, USS John Finn and JS Maya ― to enhance readiness against North Korea’s missile provocations.
The previous joint drill was held on April 17 and the latest one was the fourth combined exercise to take place during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
