Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said South Korea’s planned nuclear-powered submarines should be built domestically rather than in the U.S., directly contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the vessels would be constructed at the Philly Shipyard. “We’ve accumulated over 30 years of technology and research experience so I believe it would be reasonable,” he said, speaking Wednesday at the National Assembly’s defense committee. He added that the Philadelphia shipyard currently lacked sufficient technology, personnel and facilities for the project.

Ahn also said he would like to use the term “nuclear energy-powered submarine (원자력추진잠수함)” rather than “nuclear-powered submarine (핵추진잠수함),” explaining that