North Korea announced it is building its first nuclear-powered submarine, marking its latest effort to strengthen military leverage over the West after diplomatic relations between Washington D.C. and Pyongyang soured following a failed 2019 summit.
Leader Kim Jong Un is aiming to increase North Korea’s nuclear weapons capability as the U.S. remains cautious about the country’s alliance with Russia during the Ukraine war. North Korea has reinforced Russia with thousands of soldiers in its fight against Ukraine.
Kim was shown touring a naval shipyard and “learned about the building of a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine,” according to the nation’s Korean Central News Agency.
If North Korea is able to construct a nuclear submarine, it would add a new piece to its naval arsenal.
The nation currently has no nuclear submarines and uses dozens of old diesel-powered Soviet submarines. A nuclear submarine would enable North Korea to go long distances underwater without needing to resurface. That capability could enable the country to strike a target stealthily and without detection.
North Korea launched more cruise missile tests to demonstrate its nuclear counterattack capability in late February. Since 2019, the country has test-fired more missiles than in the previous decade. Before the 2019 summit collapsed without a deal, diplomatic relations between Washington and Pyongyang were improving, and North Korea had paused its missile launches.
The country’s state media quoted Kim as saying that North Korea’s naval strength would be “fully displayed in any necessary waters without limitation.”
“The DPRK would never remain an idle onlooker to the naval and underwater military activities of the enemies seriously threatening the sovereignty and interests of the DPRK by constantly deploying large numbers of strategic assets,” Kim said.
The nuclear submarine tour was reportedly in response to upcoming joint U.S. and South Korean training exercises from March 10 to 20. The training aims to enhance the two countries’ combat readiness.
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North Korea said they built a “tactical nuclear attack submarine” in 2023, but South Korean officials shedded doubt whether it actually worked. There’s no evidence to indicate the country has test-launched a missile from the submarine.
Experts still have doubts about whether North Korea has the capacity to build a nuclear submarine, but Russia could boost the country in its efforts in exchange for additional support in the Ukraine war.
