BUSAN/WASHINGTON – In a move poised to reshape global security dynamics, US President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate resumption of nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year moratorium. Simultaneously, he announced that South Korea has been authorized to build its first nuclear-powered submarine.
The outgoing president made these major declarations in Busan, South Korea, just before departing for the US at the conclusion of his Asian tour.
On his platform ‘Truth Social’, President Trump wrote, “I have instructed the Department of War (Defense) to… begin testing our nuclear weapons just like other countries and to do so immediately.”
He justified the decision by claiming the US must be on “equal footing” with other nations, specifically citing China and Russia, who he alleges are continuing to test their own nuclear programs. While stating the US has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, Trump warned that China could “reach that level within five years.”
In the second major development, Trump confirmed he has authorized South Korea to build its own nuclear-powered submarine, a long-standing goal for Seoul. He stated that South Korea will now “say goodbye to its old, diesel submarines,” which will be replaced by “more modern, faster, and more durable” nuclear models.
The submarine will be constructed in Philadelphia, USA, at a shipyard operated by the South Korean company Hanwha. This decision elevates South Korea into an elite group of nations possessing nuclear submarines, which currently includes the US, China, Russia, the UK, France, and India.
It was not immediately clear from the announcement whether Trump was ordering a resumption of full-scale nuclear explosions, which the US has not conducted since 1992, or tests of nuclear-capable missile systems. The 1992 halt was followed by the US signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996.
