North Korea displays apparent progress in construction of nuclear-powered submarine

North Korea Unveils Progress on Nuclear-Powered Submarine as Kim Condemns South Korean Naval Ambitions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected what appears to be a nearly completed nuclear-powered submarine, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s naval capabilities. State media released images showing Kim touring a massive burgundy-colored vessel at a shipyard, the most revealing glimpse of the project since initial photos in March showed only the lower sections.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the vessel as an “8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine,” which Kim has repeatedly emphasized will be a crucial component in modernizing and nuclear-arming North Korea’s navy. The submarine is explicitly intended to carry nuclear weapons, with state media referring to it as a “strategic guided missile submarine” and “strategic nuclear attack submarine.”

During his visit to the shipyard, Kim sharply criticized South Korea’s efforts to develop its own nuclear-powered submarine, calling it an “offensive act” that violates North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty. He claimed the South Korean initiative further justified his nation’s naval nuclear program, describing the submarine’s eventual completion as an “epoch-making” enhancement to North Korea’s nuclear deterrent.

The photographs revealed a hull that appears largely complete, suggesting significant progress since previous public glimpses. Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University and former South Korean navy submarine officer, assessed that the vessel could be ready for sea trials within months.

“Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,” Moon explained. The advanced stage of construction suggests core components, including the propulsion system and possibly the nuclear reactor, have already been installed.

The nuclear-powered submarine represents one element of an ambitious weapons development program announced by Kim during a major political conference in 2021. Other priorities included solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, and multi-warhead missiles – many of which North Korea has already tested or deployed.

Military analysts warn that a nuclear-powered submarine capable of extended underwater operations would significantly enhance North Korea’s strategic capabilities, particularly by enabling difficult-to-detect submarine-launched missile strikes. Such vessels can remain submerged for months, making them nearly impossible to track.

Questions persist about how North Korea, under heavy international sanctions, has acquired the technology and resources necessary to build such sophisticated vessels. Some experts speculate that the country’s deepening military relationship with Russia may have provided access to crucial submarine technology.

While some analysts believe North Korea might have acquired a reactor from a retired Russian submarine, Moon suggested it’s more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor with possible Russian technical assistance. The country’s growing military cooperation with Moscow – including sending thousands of troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine – has potentially created opportunities for technology transfers.

Meanwhile, South Korea is pursuing its own nuclear submarine program. During a November summit with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung secured tentative U.S. support for South Korea’s efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Trump indicated openness to sharing the sensitive technology, though specific implementation plans remain unclear.

In a separate development, KCNA reported that Kim supervised tests of new anti-air missiles fired into the sea on Wednesday. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed detecting several missile launches from North Korea’s eastern coast.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent years as Kim has accelerated his nuclear weapons program and strengthened ties with Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has repeatedly rejected calls from Washington and Seoul to resume negotiations aimed at curbing its nuclear and missile development, with diplomacy stalled since the collapsed 2019 summit between Kim and Trump.

If completed and deployed, the nuclear submarine would represent one of the most significant advances in North Korea’s naval capabilities and further complicate security dynamics in Northeast Asia.