[Edaily Reporter kim kwanyong ] While the government is moving forward with a project aimed at launching the lead nuclear-powered submarine in the mid-2030s, concerns have been raised that institutional improvements are needed because the organization overseeing the project is scheduled to operate only until 2029. The argument is that while the development of a nuclear-powered submarine takes at least 10 years, the duration of the dedicated organization and the intergovernmental decision-making body is too short, and the systems to support long-term budget allocation and the procurement of key equipment are inadequate.

At a seminar titled “Strategies for the Introduction of Nuclear-Powered Submarines and Legislative Tasks,” held on the 27th by the Institute for National Security Strategy and the Office of the Chair of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, among others, Choi Yong-seon, Senior Research Fellow at Yulchon Law Firm, identified the duration of the project implementation organization, securing funding, and the nuclear safety regulatory framework as key issues in the government’s proposed Special Act on Nuclear-Powered Submarines.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defense’s Nuclear-Powered Submarine Policy Planning Team and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Team are temporary organizations set to operate until August 2029. The Nuclear-Powered Submarine Strategy Committee under the Prime Minister, included in the government’s special bill, is also set to operate for a period of five years.

In contrast, the government’s target for the launch of the lead nuclear-powered submarine is the mid-2030s. Considering the time required to bring subsequent vessels into service, the entire project is expected to last more than 15 years. Committee Member Choi specifically pointed out as a problem that the term of the project’s implementing organization could end during a period of significant uncertainty, such as securing nuclear fuel and verifying the land-based test reactor. Accordingly, he proposed that a dedicated organization be specified in the special act and operated stably in accordance with the project schedule.

Measures to secure long-term funding were also presented as a legislative priority. While the government’s proposal includes special provisions regarding project feasibility studies, testing and evaluation, and contract amendments, analysts note that it lacks concrete mechanisms to support securing budgets over multiple years and the advance procurement of long-lead items.

Committee Member Choi proposed the establishment of a separate special account, noting that if the nuclear-powered submarine program were funded solely through the general defense improvement budget, competition for funding with other weapons acquisition programs would be inevitable. He also cited the example that it takes approximately 55 months to manufacture a reactor for a conventional nuclear power plant and 60 months for a steam generator, arguing that institutional grounds must be established to allow for the ordering of core equipment for nuclear submarines prior to the start of construction.

Authority over nuclear reactor safety regulation is also a point of contention. Currently, both the government’s bill and a special bill sponsored by Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party have been submitted to the National Assembly. While the government’s bill establishes a nuclear safety management system centered on the Ministry of National Defense, Rep. Yoo’s bill grants the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission the authority to regulate and license military nuclear reactors.

In response, Commissioner Choi pointed out that it would be difficult to ensure regulatory independence if the same agency were responsible for both project implementation and nuclear reactor safety regulation. He proposed an alternative plan to establish a dedicated naval nuclear organization within the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and to create special provisions regarding the handling of military secrets.

Securing the nuclear fuel necessary for the development of nuclear-powered submarines also remains a challenge. Lee Chun-geun, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, pointed out delays in approval for the construction of a test reactor for submarines and confusion among relevant agencies. Given that the construction of a test reactor requires a significant amount of time and budget, analysis suggests that delays in reactor demonstration and nuclear fuel supply negotiations could affect the launch schedule of the lead vessel.

Ultimately, it has been pointed out that the process of enacting the special act must not only include special provisions to streamline existing procurement procedures but also specifically define the continuity of the project implementation organization, the securing of stable funding, and the authority for nuclear reactor safety regulation. In particular, as differences between the government’s proposal and the lawmakers’ proposal are reconciled, how to allocate responsibility for reactor licensing and safety verification remains a key point of contention.