On Monday, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea. Hours earlier, South Korean and U.S. troops had kicked off their annual combined drills. The North views such maneuvers as rehearsal for invasion. And after years of threatening to build up its nuclear abilities, North Korea has unveiled a new weapon: a nuclear-powered submarine.
The North Korea state media agency released photos showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine.” The photos were part of a report about leader Kim Jong Un’s visits to the country’s major shipyards.
South Korean submarine expert Moon Keun-sik says the term “strategic guided missiles” means it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) didn’t provide details on the submarine. It did say that Kim was briefed on its construction.
The vessel appears to be a 6,000- or 7,000-ton-class submarine. That size ship can carry about 10 missiles, says Moon. It is still under construction. But once complete, it could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the United States.
“We’re aware of these claims and do not have additional information to provide at this time,” says U.S. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes. “The U.S. is committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.”
A nuclear-powered submarine was on Kim’s high-tech weapons wish list. He wanted several items to help cope with what he saw as growing U.S.-led threats. The list included intercontinental ballistic missiles, high-speed weapons, spy satellites, and more.
As for the submarine, analysts say North Korea’s ability to fire nuclear missiles from underwater is concerning. Such launches are difficult for rivals to detect in advance.
Today, North Korea has an estimated 70 to 90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the world’s largest fleets. However, most are aging, capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles.
North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016. But all launches were made from the same 2,000-ton-class submarine with a single launch tube. Many experts consider the sub a test platform rather than a working submarine in active service.
In 2023, North Korea claimed it had launched its first “tactical nuclear attack submarine.” But foreign experts doubted that claim.
Today, many question how North Korea could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines. The country is heavily sanctioned and poor.
Moon, the sub expert, says North Korea may have received Russian assistance. He suggests Russia helped the North build a nuclear reactor for its submarine in return for weapons and troops to fight Ukraine.
During his recent visits to the shipyards, Kim said that North Korea aims to modernize water-surface and underwater warships at the same time. KCNA reports Kim stressed the need to make its “overwhelming warships fulfill their mission” in order to contain the so-called “gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces”—most likely meaning the United States.
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. — Proverbs 21:31
