Expansion and Restructuring of Organization Dedicated to Nuclear Submarines

Significant Reinforcement of Dedicated Teams at Ministry of National Defense and DAPA

Aerial photograph of the Jang Bogo-II class submarine surface navigation scene.

The government has decided to expand its dedicated organization for the construction of a Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine. By restructuring and enlarging relevant teams within the Ministry of National Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the government plans to strengthen both exclusive task forces and personnel, as well as extend the duration of the initiative, thereby enabling full-scale management of the nuclear-powered submarine acquisition project.

On August 11, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it would upgrade its nuclear-powered submarine acquisition task force, which is currently led by an officer-level manager, to a director-level Nuclear-Powered Submarine Policy Planning Group reporting directly to the Vice Minister. The expanded team will consist of 21 members, including staff seconded from related ministries, and will operate until August 14, 2029. The planning group will be responsible for coordinating government-wide policies concerning fuel acquisition, international negotiations, and safety management. Last month, the Defense Ministry pre-announced a special law that mandates regulations ranging from the acquisition and operation to maintenance, decommissioning, and safety management of nuclear-powered submarines. The bill also includes exemptions from feasibility studies, special provisions for research and development and testing and evaluation, as well as principles prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons and requiring adherence to international non-proliferation standards.

DAPA is also changing the name of its Korean Submarine Program Group, which currently operates under the Future Power Programs Headquarters as a temporary body, to the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Program Group. This group will be in charge of research and development, acquisition, and contract management of submarines and nuclear propulsion systems. The duration of operation will also be extended, as with the Ministry of National Defense, from December 31 of this year to August 14, 2029, which is an extension of approximately 2 years and 8 months. The number of personnel will be increased by 17, and two new teams—the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Team and the Nuclear Propulsion System Project Team—will be established.

In May, the government announced the “Jangbogo N Project” and has been pushing forward with the development of a nuclear-powered submarine, targeting the launch of an advanced lead vessel by the mid-2030s. This restructuring means that, in addition to government-wide policy coordination and the legal framework, the actual organization responsible for the acquisition project will also be fully operational.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.