Why do more Americans support South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine project than its development of nuclear weapons?

Support for South Korea’s submarine project reached 58 percent, but 71 percent opposed Seoul developing nuclear weapons. The submarines would be conventionally armed despite using nuclear propulsion.

How do Democrats, Republicans and independents view South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine project?

Support was broadly bipartisan: 56 percent of self-identifying Democrats, 64 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of independents backed South Korea developing nuclear-powered submarines.

Majority of Americans support S. Korea's nuclear-powered submarine project: poll

Q: What do Americans think about the South Korea-U.S. alliance and defending South Korea?

Sixty-four percent said the alliance serves American national security interests, while 56 percent supported maintaining or increasing the current U.S. troop presence in South Korea. Seventy-one percent favored using U.S. troops to defend South Korea if North Korea invaded.

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Summary

A survey of 1,207 American adults found that 58 percent support South Korea developing nuclear-powered submarines, while 71 percent oppose Seoul developing nuclear weapons. Support for the submarine project crossed party lines, reaching 56 percent among Democrats, 64 percent among Republicans and 62 percent among independents. The survey also found positive views of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and continued opposition to North Korea retaining nuclear weapons.

Key Facts

The survey was conducted jointly by the Korea Economic Institute of America and YouGov among American adults from Aug. 21 to Sept. 1.
South Korea is pursuing conventionally armed, nuclear-propelled submarines following security agreements reached at a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October of last year.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said the South Korea-U.S. alliance serves American national security interests, while 56 percent supported maintaining or increasing the current U.S. troop presence in South Korea.
Seventy-one percent favored using U.S. troops to defend South Korea if North Korea invaded, and 68 percent held a favorable view of South Korea.
Eighty-seven percent said it was important for North Korea to give up its nuclear capabilities, while 55 percent supported another Trump-Kim Jong-un summit under various conditions.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 9, 2026 12:36 am KST

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcome ceremony for the U.S. leader ahead of their talks at the National Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea, on Oct. 29, 2025. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — Nearly six in 10 Americans support South Korea's project to develop nuclear-powered submarines, a survey showed Thursday, while a strong majority oppose Seoul acquiring nuclear weapons.

The survey, conducted jointly by the Washington-based Korea Economic Institute of America and data analytics firm YouGov among 1,207 American adults from Aug. 21-Sept. 1, found that 58 percent supported South Korea's development of nuclear-powered submarines, with 42 percent opposing it.

Support was broadly bipartisan, with 56 percent of self-identifying Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans backing the development of the submarines. Among independents, 62 percent expressed support.

South Korea is pushing to build conventionally armed, nuclear-propelled submarines following security agreements reached during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October of last year.

Public support for nuclear-powered submarines, however, did not extend into support for South Korea possessing nuclear weapons, with 71 percent of those polled opposing Seoul developing nuclear weapons.

The survey also found broadly positive attitudes toward the South Korea-U.S. alliance, with 64 percent saying that the alliance serves American national security interests, including 71 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Republicans.

Also, 56 percent supported either maintaining or increasing the current U.S. troop presence in South Korea, while 71 percent said they would favor using U.S. troops to defend South Korea in the event of a North Korean invasion.

Overall, 68 percent of Americans held a favorable view of South Korea, while 7 percent had an unfavorable view and 25 percent were unsure, according to the survey.

The survey also showed that Americans remain strongly opposed to North Korea retaining its nuclear weapons. It showed that 87 percent said it was important for North Korea to give up its nuclear capabilities, largely unchanged from 85 percent in 2020.

Despite strongly negative views of North Korea, Americans also showed openness to renewed diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Of the respondents, 55 percent supported another summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under various conditions -- 18 percent supported a meeting without preconditions, while 20 percent favored a summit if the North first agrees to give up its nuclear weapons.

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