Seoul, December 26: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticised a proposed U.S.-South Korea nuclear-powered submarine arrangement as an “offensive act” threatening stability on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported on Wednesday, as Pyongyang pushed ahead with its own naval and missile programmes.
Kim made the comments while inspecting a nuclear submarine production facility, where North Korea is working on an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
According to KCNA, Kim said the submarine cooperation between Washington and Seoul “severely violates” North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty and must be countered. He called for the accelerated modernisation and nuclear weaponisation of North Korea’s naval forces.
The remarks came as South Korea said it was pursuing a “standalone deal” with the United States to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology, Yonhap news agency reported. U.S. law bans the transfer of nuclear material for military use, but South Korea’s national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Seoul could receive an exemption from U.S. President Donald Trump following meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Wi cited Australia’s agreement with Washington to build nuclear-powered submarines as a precedent, adding that talks with the United States were expected to begin early next year.
KCNA also reported that Kim on Wednesday oversaw the successful test firing of a new high-altitude long-range anti-air missile, which hit a mock target at an altitude of about 200 km (124 miles) over the Sea of Japan, which North Korea refers to as the East Sea of Korea.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Kim a New Year’s greeting, thanking North Korea for its military support in Russia’s war in Ukraine, KCNA said. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops since 2024 to fight alongside Russian forces, including in areas such as the Kursk region briefly seized by Ukrainian troops during counteroffensive operations.
Putin praised what he called the “invincible friendship and militant fraternity” between Moscow and Pyongyang and hailed the success of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed in 2024, expressing hope for deeper cooperation on regional and international issues, KCNA reported.
