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US naval chief calls S.Korea nuclear sub for counter China 'natural expectation'; experts warn of regional tensions

Global Times

By Feng Fan Published: Nov 17, 2025 02:48 PM

The US chief of naval operations' recent remarks suggesting that South Korea's future nuclear-powered submarine "is a natural expectation" to be used to counter China have raised concerns, with experts warning that the claim reveals Washington's intention to draw Seoul deeper into its Indo-Pacific strategy — a move that could place South Korea in an increasingly dangerous position.

When asked about the possibility of South Korea's nuclear submarine playing a role in countering China and reshaping the South Korean Navy's role in the broader East Asian region, US Admiral Daryl Caudle claimed that "Utilization of that submarine to counter China, I think is a natural expectation," Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.

Caudle's comment came as the US officially approved South Korea's push to acquire what would be its first nuclear-powered submarine in a joint fact sheet released last week, detailing discussions of summit talks between South Korean President Lee Jae- myung and US President Donald Trump on October 29, according to Yonhap.

"With that type of capability, I think the US would expect that partnership, again, working as an alliance together, to meet our combined goals on what US considers to be our pacing threat, which is China," Caudle was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

The admiral even cited a line from the Spider-Man movie, saying, "With great power comes great responsibility," adding that South Korea would be expected to "deploy those submarines globally and move away from just being a regional navy to a global navy."

Yonhap noted that Washington has been "pushing" its allies to increase defense spending and contribute to "collective defense" as the US seeks to strengthen security cooperation amid intensifying US-China rivalry.

Chinese ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing has voiced concerns over Seoul's implications of pursuing a nuclear-powered submarine. He said the move is directly related to the international nuclear nonproliferation regime and urged the South Korean government to act with "prudence," according to Yonhap.

"What I want to emphasize is that the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region is still complex and sensitive," the ambassador said, stressing that cooperation between Seoul and Washington on nuclear-powered submarines carries consequences for both regional stability and global nonproliferation efforts.

The Chinese envoy also warned that ongoing efforts by South Korea and the US to modernize their alliance should not be expanded into a framework aimed at containing China, which would divert the alliance from its stated purpose of addressing North Korean threats, Yonhap reported.

"If there is a change in the strategic purpose of the South Korea-US alliance, China's perspective toward the alliance would also change," he said.

However, South Korean media highlighted the divergence between Seoul and Washington regarding the submarine's intended purpose. Global Economic wrote that while South Korea views the nuclear submarine as essential to counter North Korea's submarine threat — citing President Lee's remarks that it is "an essential strategic asset for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula" — the US sees it as a tool to check China's rapidly expanding naval power.

Chinese experts also pointed to this discrepancy. Lü Chao, president and associate professor at the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University, told the Global Times on Monday that although Seoul argues the submarine is meant to bolster defenses against Pyongyang, "the US openly frames it as part of its strategy to counter China or respond to conflicts beyond the region," suggesting that the two sides "are not on the same page."

Lü noted that the reality aligns more closely with the US position. "If a conflict breaks out on the Korean Peninsula, it is most likely in the shallow waters of the Yellow Sea, where nuclear submarines have limited utility," Lü said. "If the goal were purely defending against North Korea, South Korea would not need nuclear submarines. But for Washington, providing such submarines is a way to bind South Korea more tightly to its strategic wagon in the so-called Indo-Pacific region."

This dynamic risks dragging South Korea into conflicts unrelated to its national interests, Lü warned. He argued that pro-US conservative forces in South Korea, which "care more about aligning with the US than about the country's own security and economy," may welcome such cooperation, though it could place South Korea at greater risk.

"Nuclear submarines that disrupt the regional military balance will expose South Korea to heightened conflict and danger," Lü said.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that if South Korea's nuclear submarine ultimately serves the US strategy of containing China, "it will introduce major uncertainties to China-South Korea relations and create negative repercussions."

Da added that the move could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia, prompting Japan or even North Korea to pursue similar capabilities, thereby elevating risks of nuclear proliferation.

As South Korea's plan to acquire nuclear submarine is bringing more uncertainty to regional security, skepticism is also on the rise among regional media. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo questioned whether the nuclear sub program should be rushed, arguing that acquiring nuclear submarines "should not be driven by blind faith in their utility" and requires rigorous cost-benefit analysis.

Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun published an editorial expressing concern over South Korea's plan to build nuclear-powered submarines, stating that a policy shift away from the peaceful use of nuclear energy "would have a significant impact on security in East Asia" and that careful discussions are needed to prevent opening the door to nuclear proliferation.

Yomiuri Shimbun also voiced concern in its reporting, noting that to avoid triggering fears or criticism over nuclear proliferation with the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, it is essential for the US and South Korea to ensure transparency throughout their consultations.

Da noted that even before South Korea begins construction, the US is already pressing Seoul to align the submarine with its China containment strategy. "This casts a shadow over China-South Korea relations at a time when Seoul claims to pursue a pragmatic balance between China and the US," Da said. "The nuclear sub plan could significantly undermine that balance."

China's Foreign Ministry has also weighed in on the issue. In response to questions regarding the US-ROK nuclear submarine discussions, the ministry previously stated that "China hopes that the ROK and the US will earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, and do what is conducive to regional peace and stability, not otherwise."