North Korea Showcases Apparent Progress on Nuclear-Powered Submarine as Kim Slams South Korea

By Blessing Nweke

North Korea on Thursday displayed what appeared to be significant progress in building a nuclear-powered submarine, releasing state media photographs that showed a largely completed hull as leader Kim Jong Un criticized South Korea’s efforts to acquire similar technology.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a shipyard to inspect construction of what it described as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine. The vessel, which Pyongyang has previously labeled a “strategic guided missile submarine,” is intended to carry nuclear weapons and form a key pillar of efforts to modernize and nuclear-arm the country’s navy.

During the visit, Kim denounced South Korea’s push to develop a nuclear-powered submarine, an initiative backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, calling it an “offensive act” that gravely violates North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty. He argued the South’s plans further justify his own drive to strengthen the North’s naval nuclear deterrent, describing the submarine’s completion as an “epoch-making” advance.

Photos released by KCNA showed Kim inspecting a massive burgundy-colored vessel inside an assembly hall alongside senior officials and his daughter. The hull appeared coated with anti-corrosion paint, suggesting advanced construction. It marked the first time state media had released images of the submarine’s upper structure since March, when only partial sections were shown.

While Pyongyang did not say how close the submarine is to completion, Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University, said the images indicate many core components may already be installed. He noted that displaying the full hull suggests the vessel could be launched for sea trials within months.

A nuclear-powered submarine was among a list of advanced weapons Kim unveiled in 2021, alongside hypersonic missiles and spy satellites. Some analysts believe North Korea’s closer ties with Russia may have helped accelerate progress.

KCNA separately reported that Kim also oversaw a test of a new long-range anti-air missile, underscoring rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.