North Korea unveils tactical nuclear attack submarine

Asia-Pacific, News September 8, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea has launched a new tactical nuclear submarine that can carry up to 10 nuclear missiles. The submarine was unveiled on September 7, 2023, and has been assigned to the fleet that patrols the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

According to North Korea’s state-run media outlet, KCNA, the submarine launch was attended by North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. The media report said that the latest submarine would strengthen the country’s naval defense. “The submarine-launching ceremony heralded the beginning of a new chapter for bolstering up the naval force of the DPRK,” KCNA said.

During his speech at the launch ceremony, Kim said that “the strategic and tactical plan to continuously enhance the modernity of underwater and surface forces and push forward with the nuclear weaponization of the Navy in the future.”

The submarine has been named Hero Kim Kun Ok, with a designation of Submarine No. 841. Kim inspected the submarine following the launching ceremony and said that It would perform its combat mission as “one of the core underwater offensive means of the naval force” of North Korea, Kim said.

The submarine had been under construction since 2016, and in 2019 KCNA reported that Kim inspected a submarine that was under construction. It is not immediately clear what missiles the new submarine would be armed with. North Korea has tested several short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in the past few months.

North Korea tactical nuclear attack submarine — ^{People attend what North Korean state media report was the country’s launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine, in North Korea, in this handout image released September 8, 2023. (Image Credit: KCNA/via Reuters)}

The submarine launch ceremony comes only a few days ahead of North Korea’s 75-year founding anniversary. Other than Hero Kim Kun Ok, North Korea is also working on nuclear-powered submarines and is planning to remodel its existing submarines and surface vessels. All these works are done to handle nuclear weapons.

North Korea’s war preparations

North Korea has rapidly ramped up its military rhetoric this summer by threatening to shoot down U.S. reconnaissance planes. Pyongyang’s military effort saw an increase especially after the U.S. Navy made a port call for its nuclear-capable submarine in South Korea for the first time in four decades.

Last month, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un dismissed his top military generals and called for a boost in weapons production as he urged his military to prepare for war. North Korea’s state-owned media outlet reported that Kim presided over a meeting of the Central Military Commission in Pyongyang and he discussed his plans for developing policies to deter North Korea’s enemies.

Kim advised the top military brass to start war preparations. Without naming the United States or South Korea, the two countries that Pyongyang considers its rival enemies, the report said that the meeting “analyzed the military moves of the chief culprits of the deteriorated situation” on the peninsula.

Last week, North Korea also fired two short-range cruise missiles in a drill to “simulate a nuclear strike” on South Korea. Pyongyang conducted the latest missile strike drill in response to the U.S.-South Korea military exercises and the deployment of U.S. B1-B bomber aircraft in the region.