North Korea unveils its first nuclear-powered submarine

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea unveiled for the archetypal clip a nuclear-powered submarine nether construction, a weapons strategy that tin airs a large information menace to South Korea and the U.S.

State media connected Saturday released photos showing what it called "a nuclear-powered strategical guided rocket submarine," arsenic it reported person Kim Jong Un’s visits to large shipyards wherever warships are built.

The Korean Central News Agency, oregon KCNA, didn't supply details connected the submarine, but said Kim was briefed connected its construction.

In this undated photograph provided connected March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean person Kim Jong Un, center, visits a shipyard to conception warships astatine an undisclosed spot successful North Korea. Independent journalists were not fixed entree to screen the lawsuit depicted successful this representation distributed by the North Korean government. The contented of this representation is arsenic provided and cannot beryllium independently verified. Korean connection watermark connected representation arsenic provided by root reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

TRUMP MUST NOT REPEAT HIS KIM JONG UN MISTAKE WITH IRAN, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS

The naval vas appears to beryllium a 6,000-ton-class oregon 7,000-ton-class 1 which tin transportation astir 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine adept who teaches astatine Seoul’s Hanyang University. He said the usage of the word "the strategical guided missiles" meant it would transportation nuclear-capable weapons.

"It would beryllium perfectly threatening to america and the U.S.," Moon said.

A nuclear-powered submarine was among a agelong wishlist of blase weaponry that Kim vowed to present during a large governmental league successful 2021 to header with what helium called escalating U.S.-led subject threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles. North Korea has since performed a tally of investigating activities to get them.

North Korea obtaining a greater quality to occurrence missiles from underwater is simply a worrying improvement due to the fact that it’s hard for its rivals to observe specified launches successful advance.

Questions astir however North Korea, a heavy sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and exertion to physique nuclear-powered submarines person surfaced.

Moon, the submarine expert, said North Korea whitethorn person received Russian technological assistance to physique a atomic reactor to beryllium utilized successful the submarine successful instrumentality for supplying accepted weapons and troops to enactment Russia’s warfare efforts against Ukraine.

In this undated photograph provided connected March 8, 2025, by the North Korean government, North Korean person Kim Jong Un, bottommost right, visits a shipyard to conception warships astatine an undisclosed spot successful North Korea. Independent journalists were not fixed entree to screen the lawsuit depicted successful this representation distributed by the North Korean government. The contented of this representation is arsenic provided and cannot beryllium independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

SOUTH KOREA'S IMPEACHED PRESIDENT YOON SUK YEOL FREED FROM PRISON AFTER CANCELED ARREST

He besides said North Korea could motorboat the submarine successful 1 oregon 2 years to trial its capableness earlier its existent deployment.

North Korea has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines successful 1 of the world’s largest fleets. However, they are mostly aging ones susceptible of launching lone torpedoes and mines, not missiles.

In 2023, North Korea said it had launched what it called its archetypal "tactical atomic onslaught submarine," but overseas experts doubted the North’s announcement and speculated it was apt a diesel-powered submarine disclosed successful 2019. Moon said determination has been nary confirmation that it has been deployed.

North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic rocket tests since 2016, but each launches were made from the aforesaid 2,000-ton-class submarine which has a azygous motorboat tube. Many experts telephone it a trial platform, alternatively than an operational submarine successful progressive service.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In caller days, North Korea has been dialing up its fiery rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea up of their upcoming yearly subject drills acceptable to commencement Monday.

During his visits to the shipyards, Kim said North Korea aims to modernize water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously. He stressed the request to marque "the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfill their mission" to incorporate "the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces," KCNA reported Saturday.