Yonhap, a South Korean news agency, said this was the first time Pyongyang had publicly disclosed the construction of such a vessel. In 2021, Kim pledged to introduce a nuclear-power submarine in response to what he called escalating military threats from the U.S., and Washington will no doubt be concerned about the development.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, state media reported Saturday, saying that “radically” boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang’s defensive strategy. Kim visited shipyards focused on building warships, the Korean Central News Agency reported, without giving details of the exact date or location of the inspection.
While most North Korean defense spending goes on its armory of tactical and strategic missiles, plus nuclear warheads, in recent years Mr. Kim has spoken of upgrading the navy. Currently, his fleet — unlike China’s — lacks blue-water assets.
