(MENAFN) U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday emphasized that Washington will collaborate closely with Seoul on nuclear-powered submarines, calling the U.S.-South Korea partnership "vital."

Speaking at a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back following the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul, Hegseth outlined plans to deepen defense cooperation, modernize the alliance, and broaden joint industrial projects.

"We're going to work closely with the Department of State and the Department of Energy to fulfill President Trump's commitment," Hegseth said.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump approved South Korea’s proposal to develop a nuclear-powered submarine. According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, Seoul aims to launch a domestically developed nuclear submarine by the mid-to-late 2030s.

Hegseth hailed the alliance as “stronger than ever,” noting a historic agreement for the first time to maintain and repair U.S. warships in South Korean shipyards.

"Our historic alliance is stronger than ever before and is vital to the Asia Pacific," he said.

He added that the two nations discussed concrete measures to modernize their partnership.

"And I'm greatly encouraged by Minister Ahn's commitment to increase defense spending, and to make greater investments in ROK (Republic of Korea) military capabilities," Hegseth said. "This includes critical missile defense and space capabilities that our forces need to preserve the peace and prevail, God forbid, in war."

Addressing questions on whether the U.S. would support South Korea in developing nuclear weapons, Hegseth stressed that his recent visit to the Demilitarized Zone highlighted the core mission of the U.S.-South Korea alliance: protecting Seoul from North Korean threats.

Minister Ahn confirmed that South Korea remains a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has no plans to acquire nuclear arms, reiterating the nation’s “unwavering” commitment to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Tensions in the region remain high. On Tuesday, the South Korean military reported that North Korea fired roughly 10 artillery shells from multiple rocket launchers into waters off the northern Yellow Sea on Monday, just an hour before Hegseth arrived at Camp Bonifas in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the DMZ.

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