By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry on Wednesday issued a public notice of a draft bill on nuclear-powered submarines, as South Korea pushes to build the key vessels in cooperation with the United States.

The proposed special legislation is designed to provide the legal basis for the Jang Bogo N project, under which the country seeks to build at least three 8,000-ton conventionally-armed nuclear-propelled attack submarines by the mid-2030s, fueled by high-assay low-enriched uranium enriched to below 20 percent.

South Korea obtained the green light from the U.S. for its push to build nuclear-powered submarines following the summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October.

Notable in the proposed bill is a provision stating that the nuclear-powered submarine program is not intended to develop, manufacture or possess nuclear weapons.

It also stipulates that the country will not engage in any act that diverts nuclear materials or undermines the international nonproliferation regime.

The provisions are seen as Seoul's effort to reaffirm that it remains firmly bound to nonproliferation obligations by codifying them into law, addressing concerns over some domestic calls here for nuclear armament.

The draft bill calls for complying with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and fully cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in nuclear safeguard procedures.

It also commits to ensuring public safety and environmental protection from radioactive materials and establishing safety standards for the submarines.

To accelerate the process, the bill seeks to exempt the program from due procedures usually required for a major defense procurement project, such as the mandatory feasibility studies.

Research and development (R&D) and testing periods will be cut short, with contracts to be subject to more flexible cost calculations.

"The nuclear-powered submarine (program) marks the first case in which a weapon system is integrated with nuclear energy," a defense ministry official said.

"Given that the project spans multiple legal domains, including defense acquisition and nuclear safety management, the current legal framework has limitations," the official said.

The proposed bill also calls for establishing a strategy committee under the prime minister to deliberate on follow-up measures, including site selection for project facilities.

It mandates that the defense minister review the implementation plan for the program every 10 years.

The ministry plans to gather public feedback through Sept. 7 before submitting the bill to the National Assembly.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

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