Lawmaker Yu proposes special bill to create presidential nuclear submarine body

People Power Party lawmaker Yu Yong-won said Thursday he had introduced a special bill to support the government's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as a national strategic project. The centerpiece of the bill — which differs from the government's own draft — is the creation of a strategy committee chaired by the president to establish a pan-government framework for advancing the program.

Yu held a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday to explain the rationale behind the "Special Bill on the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Program," saying "the current Defense Acquisition Program Act and Nuclear Safety Act alone are insufficient to comprehensively reflect the unique nature of a military nuclear propulsion system."

The bill calls for establishing a presidential "Nuclear-Powered Submarine Strategy Committee" to deliberate on major policies and pending issues related to the program. Under the proposed structure, the president would serve as committee chair, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff among the members, forming a pan-government body to drive the initiative forward.

This differs from the special bill draft the Ministry of National Defense announced for legislative notice last month. The Defense Ministry's version would establish a strategy committee chaired by the prime minister, whereas Yu's bill elevates the body to report directly to the president.

"The president must serve as chair and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must participate as a member to establish a full pan-government push," Yu said. He added that a 10-year review cycle should be built into law to guarantee the program's continuity and policy consistency regardless of changes in administration.

The bill also addresses a safety management framework for the nuclear-powered submarines. It would consolidate regulatory authority — including licensing and safety inspections — under the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission rather than the military, establishing an independent safety oversight regime.

A total of 31 lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, including 30 People Power Party members and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon.

The People Power Party plans to use the public comment period on the Defense Ministry's draft bill — which runs through Sept. 7 — to push for the key provisions of Yu's bill to be incorporated into the government's version.

The government is currently pursuing the acquisition of a Korean-designed nuclear-powered submarine under a program called "Jangbogo-N," which would use low-enriched uranium with an enrichment level below 20 percent as fuel. The goal is to launch the lead vessel in the mid-2030s and bring it into operational service by the late 2030s.