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The US President on Thursday declared his visit to South Korea a “great trip”, boasting a trade deal with the Southeast Asian ally and that he had “given them approval to build a nuclear powered submarine”. It came just over a week after Mr Trump told the Prime Minister that he would look at speeding up delivery of Australia’s promised Virginia-class boats – a bold commitment amid sluggish production in the US. It cropped up when Mr Albanese fronted media in Gyeongju, South Korea, where he is attending APEC. “These bilateral arrangements are a matter for the United States and Korea,” Mr Albanese told reporters. “The arrangements that Australia has entered into with the United States and the United Kingdom are in our national interest, they will provide for Australia to have access to that technology. “And that’s a very positive thing.” Pressed on US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying he was “highly doubtful the US would be able to sustain AUKUS while also helping the South Koreans get nuclear”, Mr Albanese insisted he was not concerned. “I think President Trump’s comments couldn’t have been clearer and they were very clear last week in the White House,” he said. “They’ve been clear ever since. “President Trump has made very explicit his not just support for AUKUS but indeed the bringing forward of the timetable, if that is possible.” Under AUKUS, Australia is set to get at least three second-hand, American-made Virginia-class submarines, with the first due in the early 2030s.
