I really do not see a defense need of why the ROK needs a nuclear powered submarines unless the goal is create a future export market for them:

 The presidential office on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to approve South Korea’s bid to build a nuclear-powered submarine, vowing to closely cooperate with the U.S. throughout the process.

Trump wrote on social media on Thursday that he had given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine, adding it will be built at shipyards in Philadelphia.

The approval came a day after President Lee Jae Myung asked Trump to allow South Korea to have nuclear fuel to build nuclear-powered submarines during their summit held in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see if the Lee administration actually follows through on the U.S. request to take over OPCON by the end of their administration. The ROK historically has said it is willing to take OPCON and then continues to delay it for various reasons:

 The United States “very much” supports South Korea doing more to lead conventional defense against North Korea, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday, as the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hopes to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington within its term.

The official made the remarks in a press briefing as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back are set to discuss the OPCON transition efforts when they meet for the two countries’ annual defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting, in Seoul on Nov. 4.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

After the very positive summit and trade deal between President Trump and Japanese PM Takaichi, it would have been hard for President Lee to not agree to a trade deal as well:

After a monthslong tug-of-war, South Korea and the United States on Wednesday struck a complete tariff deal, heralding a new chapter for their industrial and economic ties.

At the summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the details of a trade deal, namely the structure of Seoul’s US$350 billion investment pledge and tariffs on autos.

In July this year, the two countries reached the framework deal as the U.S. slashed “reciprocal” tariffs to 15 percent from 25 percent and South Korea pledged to heavily invest in key U.S. industries such as shipbuilding.

Under the deal, the U.S. maintains its reciprocal duties on Korean goods, but cut sectoral tariffs on Korean cars and auto parts to 15 percent from 25 percent.

With Wednesday’s deal, South Korea and the U.S. will see deepened industrial and economic ties, and Asia’s fourth-largest economy will not be positioned at a disadvantage in competing with other economies in the world’s largest economy.

Yonhap

Here is where the money is going:

Under the terms agreed Wednesday, Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge will be two-pronged: $200 billion in cash installments and $150 billion allocated for shipbuilding industry cooperation, with an annual investment cap set at $20 billion, according to Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy.

You can read more at the link.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense also known as the Secretary of War will be visiting Korea and Japan next week:

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas and meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during his visit to the Asian country next week, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

Hegseth is set to kick off a two-day visit to South Korea next Monday in his first trip to the Asian country since taking office early this year. Korea is the last leg of his Asia swing that includes stops in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Upon arrival in Korea, the secretary, along with Seoul’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, plans to visit the Joint Security Area inside the DMZ and have a chance to meet Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ, the official said during a briefing to the press traveling with Hegseth.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi hit it off really well during their summit yesterday:

Weapons sales and trade in critical minerals were on the agenda when President Donald Trump met new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Japanese capital Tuesday morning. Trump arrived Monday after a stop in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. He and Takaichi met in an ornate conference room at Akasaka Palace, a state guest house, alongside top leaders from their governments.

Just outside were parked gleaming new American and Japanese pickup trucks. The Japanese government is considering the purchase of a fleet of Ford F-150s. “She has good taste,” Trump, referring to Takaichi, told reporters on Air Force One during the flight to Asia. “That’s a hot truck.” Trump and Takaichi met elsewhere in the palace to sign a new agreement strengthening their alliance and a framework for securing a U.S. supply of critical minerals and rare earths — key materials for the defense and technology industries.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.