South Korea has confirmed that it is developing a new small modular reactor (SMR) for civilian ships, a technology that one expert said Seoul could modify for use in nuclear submarines to counter North Korea.

The development of the SMR comes as a growing chorus of voices in South Korea pushes for the country to acquire nuclear-powered military capabilities and even nuclear weapons, due to concerns about the U.S. commitment to Seoul’s defense and the DPRK’s rapid development of weapons of mass destruction.