North Korea is pushing ahead with the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, after state media released images of a hull that appears close to completion during Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to a shipyard. The 8,700-ton-class boat is presented as a key asset to reinforce the country’s naval forces and nuclear deterrent, and Kim used the inspection to label South Korea’s pursuit of similar technology an “offensive act” that threatens the North’s security.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim visited the yard to check progress on what it described as a strategic guided-missile submarine. The project is framed as part of his wider effort to modernise the North Korean navy and expand its nuclear arsenal. During the inspection, Kim criticised South Korea’s drive to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarine, a programme backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, arguing that the move undermines North Korea’s maritime sovereignty and security.
Photographs released by state media show Kim walking past a large, burgundy-coloured hull coated in anti-corrosion paint. It is the first time since March that North Korean outlets have circulated images of this submarine; previous coverage showed only its lower sections.
Specialists say the extent of the visible structure suggests major systems, including the engine and possibly the reactor, are already in place. Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Hanyang University, assessed that the vessel could reach the sea-trial stage within months, given its current level of completion.
Kim’s nuclear-powered submarine push sits within a broader military roadmap he unveiled in 2021, which calls for advanced weapons to counter what Pyongyang sees as threats from the United States and its allies. North Korea has carried out a series of tests under this agenda, including the unveiling of a new naval destroyer designed to enhance its nuclear strike capability.
The prospect of such a submarine being deployed is fuelling concern among nearby countries because these vessels can operate quietly and launch missiles from underwater, making detection difficult. Despite deep economic problems and international sanctions, experts speculate that recent cooperation with Russia may have helped North Korea secure critical technology for the programme.
South Korea is also pursuing a nuclear-powered submarine of its own. At a summit with Trump, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought U.S. support for the initiative and underlined plans to increase defence spending, while Trump signalled openness to sharing related technology. However, neither the construction schedule nor the means of securing nuclear fuel has yet been clarified.
Separately, North Korea has carried out a test of a long-range missile for anti-air defence, further raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the launch. As North Korea continues to advance its military capabilities after the collapse of denuclearisation talks in 2019, the region remains on high alert.
