Seoul, Sept 2026 : North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of encouraging South Korea and Japan to pursue nuclear-powered submarines, using the issue to defend its continued expansion of nuclear capabilities.
The criticism followed comments by a US Navy official on Seoul and Tokyo's plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines during a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday.
The US official said South Korea should establish a clear operational justification for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines rather than treating them as a “status symbol”. At the same time, the official expressed a more favourable assessment of Japan's efforts to acquire such submarines, Yonhap News Agency reported.
In a commentary carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs claimed that the US discussions were intended to encourage South Korea and Japan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
The analyst accused Washington of playing a leading role in global nuclear proliferation and criticised what Pyongyang described as US efforts to expand nuclear-related cooperation with its allies.
The North Korean commentary also focused on AUKUS, the security partnership involving the United States, Britain and Australia. Pyongyang alleged that Washington was using the partnership as a framework to expand access to nuclear submarine technology among its allies, including South Korea and Japan.
“The reality goes to prove that Washington's plan for ‘AUKUS 2.0,’ which allows the transfer of nuclear technology for munitions to non-nuclear allies, has entered the phase of full-scale expansion,” the analyst wrote.
AUKUS was announced in 2021 and formally signed in 2024. The partnership has paved the way for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines using US propulsion technology, supported by a US exemption that permits the transfer of sensitive nuclear material under the agreement.
The arrangement is viewed by some observers as a potential reference point for future discussions between Washington and Seoul over nuclear-powered submarines.
North Korea described South Korea and Japan's reported pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines as “reckless acts” and warned that the developments could further increase military tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The analyst claimed that the US was attempting to strengthen its regional alliances as part of efforts to counter rival states, accusing Washington of using its allies as “shock brigades” in the region.
Pyongyang also argued that the expansion of nuclear-powered submarine programmes by US allies could undermine the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
The North Korean analyst used the criticism to reiterate Pyongyang's position that it should continue strengthening its nuclear capabilities.
He said North Korea must “bolster up its nuclear war deterrent means both in quality and quantity without the slightest stagnation and stalemate.”
The comments come amid heightened security tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and missile capabilities while South Korea, Japan and the United States maintain close security cooperation.
The debate over nuclear-powered submarines has added another dimension to regional security discussions, particularly as Washington strengthens defence cooperation with its allies in response to evolving military threats in the Indo-Pacific.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
