By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has formally notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intention to begin consultations on a safeguards arrangement for envisioned nuclear-powered submarines, the agency chief has said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi made the remarks during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna on Monday (local time), as South Korea pushes to build conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines following security agreements reached at a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October last year.
This AFP photo shows Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi gesturing as he speaks during a press conference after the Board of Governors' Meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna on Sept. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
According to a statement provided by his office, Grossi said, with regard to nuclear-powered submarines, South Korea "has formally notified the Secretariat of its intention to start consultations with the Agency on an arrangement pursuant to Article 14 of its comprehensive safeguards agreement (CSA)."
Article 14 of the CSA allows a country to use nuclear material for non-nuclear military purposes, such as nuclear-powered naval propulsion, under an arrangement with the IAEA.
Seoul has "reiterated its commitment to fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the CSA and the Additional Protocol" and has provided the agency with the relevant declarations, Grossi said, adding he looks "forward to the continuation of our consultations in the same spirit of transparency."
Under the NPT, non-nuclear-weapon states are prohibited from using nuclear material for nuclear weapons purposes and are required to accept IAEA safeguards to verify that their nuclear activities remain peaceful. South Korea has a CSA with the IAEA as part of its nonproliferation obligations.
"We are proceeding with the necessary procedures to demonstrate that we are taking a transparent approach," an official of Seoul's foreign ministry said.
At a press conference in June, Grossi said a solid agreement between South Korea and the IAEA should alleviate any proliferation concerns related to Seoul's nuclear-powered submarine project. He added discussions between the two sides on an Article 14 arrangement were at an early stage.
South Korea has set a goal of launching its first nuclear-powered submarine in the mid-2030s and deploying it with the Navy in the late 2030s.
President Lee Jae Myung (C) listens to a report on a master plan for developing nuclear-powered submarines at the first Future Defense Strategy Committee meeting in the southern city of Changwon on May 26, 2026. (Yonhap)
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