The unveiling of a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine by North Korea is an important advance for the country’s military. Images of the submarine and reports of leader Kim Jong Un visiting major shipyards that are responsible for building warships were released by state media on Saturday. However, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) provided little else about the vessel and its construction, and Kim was briefed on its creation.
Military analysts estimate the submarine to be a 6,000 to 7,000 ton class vessel capable of carrying 10, including nuclear capable, missiles. According to Moon Keun-sik, South Korean submarine expert at Hanyang University, ‘strategic guided missiles’ implies the vessel is capable of launching nuclear armed weapons.
“The nuclear capability and underwater launching potential of this submarine make it a direct threat against South Korea and the U.S. because the submarine is hard to detect and counter,” Moon said.
It coincides with Kim Jong Un’s ambitions outlined at a major political conference in 2021. So, during that event, Kim outlined a roadmap for acquiring advanced weapons, including solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, and multi-warhead missiles. Despite this, North Korea has continued to test these high-tech weapon systems, and in the time since then.
The new submarine gives the Hermit Kingdom considerably greater capacity for surprise attacks, though experts wonder how North Korea — an economically struggling and heavily sanctioned country — pulled off designing and building a nuclear-powered submarine.
This revelation is a game changer in terms of regional security dynamics, and while the U.S., South Korea, and their allies weigh these threats, there is an increasing worry of North Korea’s increasing military advances regarding this point.
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