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Submarine Proliferation

South Korea Import Behavior

Capabilities | Import | Export

The Chang Bogo. Source: U.S. Navy Website, http://www.news.navy.mil.

A few years ago, South Korea completed its first submarine project, called the KSS-1.  Initially, the program entailed the purchase of 12 German Type 209/1200 submarines; this number was later reduced to nine. The Type 209/1200 tailored to South Korean specifications is referred to as Chang Bogo-class. In 1987, the first unit was laid down at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, Germany, while subsequent submarines were delivered in kit form and assembled at Daewoo Heavy Industries Corporation in South Korea.[1,2]

In 1999, this submarine project was followed by KSS-2, which was postponed due to military budget cuts as a result of the 1998 South Korean economic crisis.[1,3] The project involves the acquisition of six Type 214 submarines with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. The first three units were ordered in 2000 and are being built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Corporation shipyards.[1,4] Similar to the construction arrangement governing the Type 209/1200 submarines, HDW will supply blueprints, material, and technological components, as well as technological support.[4]

Furthermore, HDW and the German Navy will provide a two-and-a-half year training course, covering basic submarine operations on attack and diving simulators and within actual vessels, as well as tactics and evasion training.  This will help the South Korean Navy to create a consolidated training system for its submarine arm.[5]

According to media reports, HDW competed with six other shipyards for the design and construction of the 1,500-2,200 ton submarines.[6] Another design given serious consideration was the Russian Project 636M (NATO name Kilo) class submarine, equipped with an AIP system, which was offered to South Korea as part of Russia’s weapons-for-debt program. Similar to HDW’s plan, the first submarine was to be built at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia, with subsequent units constructed in South Korea. South Korea was allegedly more interested in Project 1650 (Amur) class submarines, however, as their characteristics more closely resemble those of European models.[7,8] But cost and logistical considerations, superior technology, and concerns about interoperability with other weapon systems led to the selection of the German submarines.[4,7,9] Previously, South Korea also showed an interest in Australia's Collins-class submarines, which met Korean capability requirements.[10]

Initially, the KSS-1 submarine project was to be followed by an indigenously designed and built 3,000-ton submarine, which was supposed to be capable of launching domestically designed cruise missiles.[1,7] As South Korea is currently unable to design and construct submarines without foreign assistance, this project was temporarily suspended.[4,11,12] Nonetheless, the goal of creating an indigenous vessel remains.[4] Daewoo is thus in the process of developing a submarine design for a 2,700-ton vessel. Some reports indicate that this is being undertaken with Russian assistance.[1] Furthermore, Korea obtained significant experience through its assembly of the Type 209/1200 submarine kits and resulting technology transfers from HDW over the past decade.[13] It is expected that a new submarine concept will be selected around 2005-06, with a contract awarded in 2009, leading to the commissioning of a first unit no earlier than 2011.[14]

Most recently, there have been reports that some Korean officials have expressed their intention of developing a nuclear-propelled vessel. The first of its class would be deployed starting in 2012 and would be armed with indigenously developed land-attack cruise-missiles.[15] The claim concerning the propulsion system was later denied by government officials, while acknowledging that a 3,500-ton diesel submarine was indeed being planned.[16,17] Nonetheless, this development would represent not only a qualitative increase in ROKN's capabilities, but would also hint at a changing interpretation of the strategic environment. A submarine of this size, regardless of its propulsion system, would be able to remain at sea for extended periods of time. The only country with a similarly large diesel-electric submarine is Australia, a country with a vastly larger coastline. This would indicate South Korea's  increasingly concern with its historical adversaries China and Japan. The emphasis on a land-attack capability further validates this interpretation, as the missile systems South Korea currently deploys are entirely capable of addressing the North Korean threat.

Sources:
[1] "Introduction," The Market: Australasia and East Asia, Korea South, Jane’s Naval Construction and Retrofit Markets, August 8, 2003, No.18. 
[2] "Marineschiffbau," HDW Web Site, http://www.hdw.de.
[3] "Introduction," The Market: Australasia and East Asia, Korea, South, Jane’s Naval Construction and Retrofit Markets, May 26, 2000, No. 10.
[4] "Südkorea will U-Boote von HDW bauen," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, November 3, 2000; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
[5] "Exhibition: Subcon '95, ROKN consolidates submarine training," Jane’s Navy International, December 1, 1995, Vol. 100, No. 6, pp. 92.
[6] Nathan Day, "HDW secures $US1.1b ROK submarine deal," Jane’s Navy International, January 1, 2001.
[7] "Procurement, Korea, South," Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessment – China and Northeast Asia, September 21, 1999.
[8] Robert Karniol, "Asia Pacific, Kim’s visit may cover submarine talks," Jane’s Defense Weekly, May 26, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 21.
[9] Richard Scott, "South Korea to build three Type 214 submarines," Jane’s Defense Weekly, November 8, 2000.
[10] David Moodie, "Korean Navy looks at buying three of our subs," The Advertiser, October 30, 1998; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
[11] "The market: Australasia and East Asia," Jane’s Naval Construction and Retrofit Markets, June 28, 2001, No. 13.
[12] "Procurement, Korea, South," Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessment – China and Northeast Asia, August 4, 2000, No. 7.
[13] Robert Karniol, "South Korea’s $1b decision soon," Jane’s Defense Weekly, October 11, 2000.
[14] Keith Shreves, "South Korea's Navy: Future regional force," Naval Forces, 2001, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 94-98; in ProQuest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb.
[15] Yu Yong-won, "ROK planning to develop nuclear-powered submarines," Chosen Ilbo online edition, http://www.chosun.com, January 26, 2004; in "ROK daily: DefMin, Navy 'secretly' reviewing plan to build 'nuclear submarines'," FBIS Document KPP20040126000005.
[16] "South Korea plans to build 3,500-tonne submarines," Agence France Presse, January 26, 2004; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
[17] Yu Yong-won, "Nuclear submarine surfaces despite gov't denial," Chosun Ilbo online edition, http://english.chosun.com, January 26, 2004.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2008 by MIIS.