Overview
- State media released images of Kim Jong Un inspecting an under-construction 8,700-ton nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine and he called South Korea’s U.S.-backed program an “offensive act.”
- There is no independent confirmation of a functioning reactor or installed combat systems on the North Korean vessel, and specialists say the rollout appears geared toward demonstration rather than near-term deployment.
- Washington has approved South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered attack submarines and pledged cooperation on requirements and fuel, with proponents highlighting planned use of low-enriched uranium to meet nonproliferation norms.
- South Korean analysts cite suspected Russian technical assistance to Pyongyang’s program, though no direct evidence has surfaced and opinions diverge on the extent of any support.
- Pyongyang condemned the USS Greeneville’s port call in Busan as destabilizing, as Kim directed factories to expand missile and munitions output to bolster future operations.