The U.S. Navy's top leadership assessed Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines as a "historic moment" and formalized the outlook that this force will be used to deter China. This suggests that Korea's discussion of introducing nuclear-powered submarines, which had focused on responding to the North Korean threat, has been fully incorporated into the larger geopolitical framework of U.S.-China power rivalry. In the process, debate over Korea's role in a Taiwan contingency also surfaced.
U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle met domestic and foreign reporters in Seoul on the 14th and stated his position on Korea's push for nuclear-powered submarines. Caudle is a submarine expert who previously served as commander of submarine forces. When asked whether Korea's nuclear-powered submarines would play a role in deterring China, he said, "It is a natural prediction that the submarines will be used to deter China."
President Lee Jae-myung stressed the need to introduce nuclear-powered submarines during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 29th of last month. Lee is said to have directly mentioned not only the North Korean threat but also the Chinese threat at the meeting. As the fallout grew, the presidential office moved to contain the diplomatic impact, saying, "This was not a reference to any specific country."
Caudle said, "The United States wants to work with allies to achieve shared goals related to China, which is a core threat." He added, "I believe Korea shares a significant portion of the concerns about China," emphasizing that "this should be part of (the two countries') strategic calculus."
Caudle did not forget diplomatic niceties. He highly praised Korea's push to possess nuclear-powered submarines itself as "a historic moment for both Korea and the United States." He also emphasized, "We are pleased that the United States can join Korea as a partner on this journey."
The interview also carried a warning about China's "gray-zone provocations." Gray-zone provocations refer to actions that continuously pressure the other side at a level below full-scale war or armed conflict. Recent Chinese activities such as installing structures in the Yellow Sea fall into this category.
Caudle said, "If such behavior is left unchecked, there is a risk that abnormal actions will harden into the norm over time," adding, "If certain lines are crossed, we will respond firmly together with Korea."
He was far more aggressive and direct regarding Taiwan. Caudle was asked, "In a Taiwan contingency, do you think U.S. Forces Korea or the South Korean military should play a role?" He replied, "When a clash occurs between great powers, it becomes close to an 'all-hands-on-deck' situation."
He added, "I cannot say specifically what form that would take," but said, "There will clearly be a certain role." This suggests that if armed conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, not only U.S. Forces Korea but also, in effect, the South Korean military could be drawn in in some form.
Meanwhile, Caudle downplayed North Korea's naval buildup, assessing that it is "not at a level that threatens the United States." However, he said, "It does have capabilities that can pose a threat to Korea." In particular, he analyzed that "although small in scale, it is trying to build strategic deterrence by securing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) force with the capability to mount nuclear warheads."
At the end of the interview, Caudle also shared a personal connection. He said, "My father, who passed away this year, was a Korean War veteran," adding, "Korea is a special country to me personally." He went on, "During his lifetime, my father remembered his experiences in Korea very warmly and often talked about the hospitality he received from the Korean people."