N Korea sees progress in construction of nuclear-powered submarine

Seoul: North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a shipyard to inspect the construction of what the North describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, which the leader has previously called a crucial step in the modernisation and nuclear armament of North Korea’s navy.

The North has indicated it plans to arm the submarine with nuclear weapons, calling it a “strategic guided missile submarine” or a “strategic nuclear attack submarine.” During the visit, Kim described South Korea’s efforts to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine, which have been backed by US President Donald Trump, as an “offensive act” that severely violates the North’s security and maritime sovereignty. He says the South Korean plan further underscores the need to modernise and nuclear-arm North Korea’s navy.