SEOUL, Nov 6 – The Philly Shipyard in the United States, owned by South Korea, is currently not equipped to build a nuclear-powered submarine, according to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. He made this statement during a parliamentary hearing on Thursday.

This comment follows a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media last week, where he mentioned that he approved South Korea to construct a nuclear-powered submarine at the Philadelphia shipyard.

Trump shared this on his Truth Social platform after South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung requested fuel for nuclear-powered submarines during a summit, highlighting their alliance with the U.S.

“As far as I know, it does not have the capability,” Prime Minister Kim said when questioned about the potential for building a nuclear submarine at the Philly Shipyard.

South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back spoke at a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, noting that it would be “rational” to build these submarines in South Korea due to the country's expertise in shipbuilding. However, he mentioned that this topic has not yet been discussed between the two nations.

South Korea boasts some of the top shipbuilders globally, including Hanwha Ocean, which, along with another affiliate, owns the Philly Shipyard.

Hanwha Ocean has chosen not to comment on this issue.

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at a joint press conference with Minister Ahn that the Trump administration will collaborate with the Department of State and Department of Energy to uphold Trump’s commitment regarding the submarines, emphasizing the president's desire for strong allies.