On 26 May 2026, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea presented the "Basic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Korea's Nuclear-Powered Submarines" (the press-release in English, translated by Naval News). The document describes the key parameters of the program that aims to build nuclear-powered submarines.

According to the plan, the future submarines will use low-enriched uranium fuel while enabling "long-cycle operation in order to minimize nuclear fuel replacement." The submarines will be developed and built in the Republic of Korea. The first submarine is expected to be launched in the mid-2030s and commissioned into service after the late 2030s.

The document also states that

the Republic of Korea will faithfully fulfill its non-proliferation obligations throughout the entire process of securing and managing low-enriched uranium, the nuclear fuel required for the propulsion system of nuclear-powered submarines, in close communication with the United States.

This language appears to leave open the possibility of acquiring low-enriched uranium from the United States or developing an indigenous enrichment program, potentially also in cooperation with the United States. The two states concluded a cooperation agreement in November 2025 and further discussed potential cooperation on enrichment and reprocessing technologies in January 2026.