Defense. Donald Trump gives South Korea the green light to build a nuclear submarine

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had given his approval to his South Korean ally for the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, the day after the conclusion of a trade agreement between the two countries.

"I gave them permission to build a nuclear-powered submarine, rather than the outdated and far less agile diesel submarines they currently have," Donald Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Asian tour

The South Korean leg was the third stop on President Trump's Asian tour, following Malaysia and Japan where he had a warm meeting Tuesday with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and received a shower of gifts and praise.

The American president received the country's highest decoration from his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae-myung, along with a replica of a golden crown worn by the kings of the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. "It's a great honor," said Donald Trump, adding that he wished to wear it "right away."

Following their meeting, Donald Trump announced that a trade agreement had been "essentially reached" with Seoul. In July, Trump had announced he had agreed to reduce tariffs on South Korean goods to 15% in exchange for Seoul's commitment to invest $350 billion in the United States, but the details of these commitments were the subject of intense negotiations.

Kim Yong-beom, senior advisor to the South Korean president, confirmed that Seoul and Washington had finalized their agreement, with a compromise that includes a 15% reduction in the tariffs that the two countries impose on each other's automobiles, a $350 billion South Korean investment plan in the United States, "$200 billion in cash and $150 billion for cooperation in the shipbuilding sector."