Hanwha Ocean Sets Up Dedicated Nuclear Submarine Development Unit
The shipbuilder created the organizational unit on Oct. 13, a step that follows months of talks on US-Korea naval cooperation involving nuclear-powered submarines.
Hanwha Ocean established a dedicated nuclear submarine development unit on Oct. 13, 2026, organizing the company's naval engineering staff around a single program for the first time, according to the company.
Hanwha Ocean is one of two South Korean shipbuilders, alongside HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, competing for a role in the country's push toward nuclear-powered submarines, a propulsion technology no Korean-built naval vessel currently uses. South Korea's submarine fleet today consists entirely of diesel-electric boats, including the KSS-III class that Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai have both worked on under existing Navy contracts.
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