Seoul, Oct 30 (V7N)- The United States has officially allowed South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines, marking a significant shift in defense cooperation between the two allies.

US President Donald Trump made the announcement on Thursday (October 30) during his visit to South Korea, posting on social media that Washington will provide Seoul with the necessary technology to facilitate the project.

Earlier, South Korea had requested access to nuclear fuel for its submarine program. However, under the existing bilateral agreement, Seoul cannot reprocess nuclear fuel without U.S. consent. Nuclear-powered submarines have the advantage of operating underwater for much longer periods than conventional diesel-powered ones.

Meanwhile, on the same day, President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, marking their first meeting in six years. The one-hour and forty-minute discussion concluded without any formal agreement.

Diplomatic sources indicate that the talks covered issues such as tariffs, rare minerals, drug smuggling, and agricultural trade. It was also expected that Washington would seek Beijing’s cooperation in ending the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

The two leaders last met in 2019.

END/SMA/AJ