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Foreign Ministry says nuclear subs 'not aimed at any specific country' in bid to ease Chinese concerns

Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 16:35 Updated: 17 Nov. 2025, 19:24

Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, speaks during a press briefing at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in central Seoul on Nov. 14. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the country’s planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines is “not aimed at any specific country,” distancing itself from recent remarks by a senior U.S. Navy official that suggested the vessels could be used to counter China.

The ministry's statement appears intended to deflect potential backlash from Beijing and avoid the perception that Seoul is aligning with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China.

“Our operation of nuclear-powered submarines is being pursued to bolster our national security in response to the rapidly changing security environment on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry said Monday.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said at a press briefing in Seoul on Nov. 14 that “utilization” of the nuclear-propelled submarine to counter China “is a natural expectation.”

Although the Foreign Ministry did not name China directly, the statement is widely seen as a rare rebuttal of a senior U.S. official’s comment.

The ministry added that it was “not appropriate to comment on every remark made by a U.S. official in an interview,” but still chose to issue the clarification — likely due to concerns that the submarine deal could complicate diplomatic relations with China amid intensifying U.S.-China strategic tensions.

Frictions between Seoul and Beijing have been rising since Oct. 29, when President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump reached a consensus on South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine ambitions during their summit.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, U.S. chief of naval operations, speaks in a group interview with reporters in Seoul on Nov. 14, in this photo provided by his office. [YONHAP]

At the summit, President Lee reportedly asked Trump for help in securing fuel for the submarines, citing the limitations of diesel-powered subs in tracking North Korean and Chinese submarines. The presidential office later clarified that Lee’s comments referred broadly to submarines operating near Korean waters, but Beijing reacted sharply.

On Oct. 30, China’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying it was “closely monitoring the situation” and called on South Korea and the United States to “faithfully fulfill their nuclear nonproliferation obligations and contribute to regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite.”

The submarine issue was also discussed during the Korea-U.S. summit.

While the Foreign Ministry cited “the rapidly changing security environment” as the reason for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, the phrase may implicitly refer not only to North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities but also to China’s growing military assertiveness. China has recently attempted to assert more control in the Yellow Sea, including the unauthorized installation of structures in the Korea-China Provisional Measure Zone (PMZ).

“There has to be a strong deterrence mechanism,” said Adm. Caudle in response to such activities by China.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]