In a worrying development for the US and South Korea, North Korea unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, with the state media releasing photos showing Kim Jong Un inspecting part of what looked like a new submarine which is larger than the ones already owned by the country.
According to media reports, the news of North Korea building a nuclear-powered submarine came amid reports of the country receiving technological support from Russia to modernise its armed forces for backing Moscow's war against Ukraine with manpower and conventional weapons.
North Korean media released photos showing what it called a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine, without providing further details about the submarine.
Korean Central News Agency said Kim “learned about the building of a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine.”
Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University said the naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, news agency AP reported. According to him, the use of the term strategic guided missiles meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.
It would be absolutely threatening to us and the US, Moon has been quoted as saying.
A nuclear-powered submarine that can travel long distances without the need to resurface would enable North Korea to avoid detection and come close to a faraway enemy like the US and strike.
Kim, who had earlier vowed to introduce sophisticated weaponry to cope with what he dubbed as escalating US-led military threats, has been quoted as saying that North Korea's naval might would be “fully displayed in any necessary waters without limitation.”
Meanwhile, on Monday, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea after South Korean and US troops began the annual combined drills. North Korea also issued a statement, calling the drills a dangerous provocative act that increases the risks of military conflict.
