President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has authorized South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines.

"Our military alliances have become stronger than ever before, and based on this, I have authorized them to build atomic submarines instead of the old, much less mobile diesel submarines they currently have," Trump stated via Truth Social.

This announcement followed a brief overview of his visit's achievements.

"South Korea has agreed to pay the United States $350 billion, contingent on the reduction of tariffs imposed by the United States. Furthermore, South Korea has agreed to purchase large quantities of American oil and gas, and investments by wealthy South Korean companies and businessmen in our country will exceed $600 billion."

Although the term "down payment" was not used, he boasted that the $350 billion investment in the U.S. was ultimately secured, along with over $600 billion in investments through South Korean companies and entrepreneurs.

In another Truth post, President Trump emphasized, "South Korea will build its nuclear-powered submarines right here at American shipyards in Philadelphia. Our shipbuilding industry will soon see a 'BIG COMEBACK.'"

He added, "Stay tuned!!! President DJT."

The timing of these explosive remarks on Truth while President Trump was in South Korea is interpreted as an intention to re-emphasize South Korea's security alliance with the United States ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for Thursday (KST).

Simultaneously, it is also seen as a form of pressure directed at North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un, urging him to come to the dialogue table.

Given that the United States, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has a limited stance on South Korea's construction of nuclear submarines and the supply of necessary fuel, it remains to be seen whether President Trump's social media statements will translate into actual reality.

However, it is assessed that South Korea, possessing both submarine and Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies, could achieve operational capability within 10 years if the U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement is amended and budget support is provided.

On the other hand, if the South Korean government firmly establishes its pro-U.S. stance in the ongoing international ideological struggle, it has secured the possibility of accessing the necessary nuclear fuel.

Currently, under the U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement amended in June 2015, South Korea is only permitted to reprocess spent nuclear fuel for research purposes and to enrich uranium to less than 20%.

NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Senior Reporter / Special Dispatch NNP info@newsandpost.com