# 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.*

**Published:** October 13, 2026  
**By:** Hyun-jung Lee  
**Section:** Shipbuilding & Defense — South Korea  
**Format:** Company Watch  
**Confidence:** medium  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hanwha-ocean-sets-up-dedicated-nuclear-submarine-development-unit-700  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Hanwha Ocean formed a dedicated nuclear submarine development unit on Oct. 13, 2026
- The company has not disclosed the unit's size, budget or reporting structure
- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is pursuing a parallel submarine program effort, leaving the two as the main Korean competitors

![Engineers review blueprints as welders work on a large cylindrical submarine hull section inside a shipyard facility. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-13-0dc94aca3715.webp)
*Engineers review blueprints as welders work on a large cylindrical submarine hull section inside a shipyard facility. (AI-generated image)*

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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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Hanwha Ocean Sets Up Dedicated Nuclear Submarine Development Unit," October 13, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hanwha-ocean-sets-up-dedicated-nuclear-submarine-development-unit-700