South Korea's defence minister thinks building a nuclear-powered submarine at home would be "reasonable", the department told AFP Thursday, a week after US President Donald Trump said it would be made in the United States.

Trump had announced that South Korea would build the submarine in a Philadelphia shipyard "right here in the good ol' U.S.A.", where the nuclear technology is among the most sensitive and tightly guarded military secrets.

It comes after Seoul announced the two countries had reached a broad deal covering investment and shipbuilding following Trump's meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Critics argue that, given Trump's remarks, Washington may push Seoul to invest in the Philadelphia shipyard in exchange for US support to build the vessel.

But South Korea

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