Overview
- State media published new images of the submarine and said Kim Jong Un inspected the construction site of the 8,700‑ton vessel described as a nuclear strategic submarine.
- A South Korean research institute analyst said the imagery suggests large machinery such as a reactor, turbines and reduction gears appears to be installed, a claim that lacks independent verification.
- Kim criticized U.S. approval of South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines, calling it a threat that must be answered.
- North Korean reports also said Kim observed a test of a new long-range surface-to-air missile that hit a target 200 kilometers away over the Sea of Japan.
- South Korean experts note significant technical hurdles for a submarine reactor and point to scant details on progress, while some reporting raises unconfirmed possibilities of Russian technical support.