SAEDNEWS: North Korea released new images yesterday, Thursday, of what it calls its first “nuclear” submarine — a massive vessel that, in terms of size, is comparable to some of the U.S. Navy’s attack submarines.
According to Saed News political service, citing CNN, images released by North Korean state media show leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a guided missile submarine inside an enclosed construction facility, indicating that the vessel has not yet been launched.
Building a nuclear submarine has long been one of Kim’s key goals, first announced at the ruling party congress in 2021. However, the Trump administration’s approval for South Korea to pursue its own nuclear submarines appears to have added urgency to Kim’s program.
These submarines offer significant advantages. They can remain underwater for extended periods—potentially years—provided sufficient supplies for the crew, while most conventional submarines must surface to operate diesel engines and recharge batteries.
They are also typically faster and quieter than conventional vessels. Currently, only the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and India possess this technology.
Images released Thursday show substantial progress in the submarine’s construction, a vessel first reported in March. State media say the submarine has a displacement of 8,700 tons, comparable to most U.S. Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines.
Kim reiterated Thursday the importance of these vessels to Pyongyang’s defense strategy, which he described as “literally… built on the strongest offensive power,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“We see super-powerful offensive capabilities as the best shield for national security in the development of our armed forces,” Kim said. He criticized U.S.-backed South Korea’s nuclear submarine program as a threat to North Korea that must be countered.
However, Lee-ERIC Isley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, says Pyongyang itself bears responsibility for heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
“Kim may be correct that expanding nuclear submarines increases instability, but he is the one driving this arms race,” Isley said. “Pyongyang has abandoned diplomacy with Seoul, threatens neighbors with nuclear weapons, and deepens its people’s suffering by prioritizing military dictatorship over economic development.”
Under a five-year plan introduced in 2021, Kim has overseen a broad expansion of North Korea’s military capabilities, including ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, hypersonic glide vehicles, and new guided-missile destroyers.
One of these destroyers made headlines earlier this year after capsizing during launch; it was later recovered and apparently repaired.
According to KCNA, Kim described the construction of destroyers and nuclear submarines as “a leap forward in strengthening the combat capabilities of our fleets.”
Still, Isley notes that even with these advancements, North Korea’s fleet remains weaker than South Korea’s, which includes some of the world’s most advanced guided-missile destroyers and new conventional submarines.
“Kim may realize he miscalculated once he sees South Korea’s technological superiority,” Isley said. North Korea’s only potential edge might be an earlier acquisition of nuclear submarines.
South Korea has sought such vessels for decades, but a long-standing nuclear agreement with the U.S. had prevented their construction—until President Trump reportedly cleared the way in October. Design and construction could still take a decade.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, told CNN, “North Korea could conduct missile tests from this submarine within two years of its launch.” Based on released images, Hong suggests the submarine may already be equipped with a nuclear reactor, with only a few final steps remaining before completion and launch.
The new submarine was not the only sign of North Korea’s future in Thursday’s images. The photos also show Kim accompanied by his daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae, who has recently appeared at several public events, fueling speculation about her potential preparation as a future successor.
