Overview
- KCNA said Kim Jong Un inspected construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-propelled 'strategic guided missile submarine,' releasing photos that show a largely completed hull.
- North Korea reported a test of new high-altitude, long-range anti-air missiles that hit targets around 200 kilometers up, and South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed detecting the launch.
- Experts cited the visible completeness of the hull to suggest major systems, potentially including the engine and reactor, may already be installed, though this has not been independently verified.
- Pyongyang has signaled the vessel is intended to carry nuclear weapons, and Kim criticized Seoul’s U.S.-supported nuclear-submarine plan as a threat that must be countered.
- Analysts question North Korea’s ability to field a nuclear-powered submarine under sanctions and raise the possibility of Russian technical help, with no confirmed evidence of transfers.