US EditionKim Jong Un Inspects 'Nuclear-Powered' Submarine
Kim Jong Un inspected an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered missile submarine and oversaw missile tests as part of efforts to strengthen naval nuclear deterrence, state media reported.
- On Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, North Korean state media released images showing Kim Jong Un inspecting a largely completed 8000-tonne-class nuclear-propelled submarine hull.
- After US backing for Seoul's submarine plans in October, Kim Jong Un said South Korea's nuclear submarine effort severely violates North Korea's security, prompting a counter response first discussed at the 2021 ruling party congress.
- Photographs from inside the assembly hall indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water, said Moon, a former submarine officer in the South Korean navy.
- Analysts warn it could enable hard-to-detect underwater missile launches, and Moon says sea tests could occur within months while Hong Min estimates a launch within about two years.
- Given sanctions and limited resources, experts caution full nuclear-submarine development may take a decade, though ties with Russia may have provided crucial technology, and pictures of Kim Ju Ae prompt succession speculation.
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236 Articles
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said he had no choice but to build the huge submarine to counter South Korea's plans to build his own.
Kim Jong Un slams South Korea over nuclear submarine plans
North Korea on Thursday showcased what appeared to be significant progress on a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media releasing new images as leader Kim Jong Un criticized South Korea’s parallel push to develop the same capability. The North’s Korean Central News Agency said Kim toured a shipyard housing an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, a project Pyongyang has framed as central to modernizing and nuclear-arming its navy. The…
Korea's Kim visits nuclear subs as Putin hails 'invincible' bond
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a nuclear submarine factory and received a message from Russia's Vladimir Putin hailing the countries' "invincible friendship", Pyongyang's state media said Thursday. North Korea and Russia have drawn closer since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, and Pyongyang has sent troops to fight for Russia. In return, Russia is sending North Korea financial aid, military techn…
North Korean Photos Show Nuclear Submarine in Progress
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 ruler 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...
The North Korean leader, angered by the recent US-South Korea military partnership, also attended the test of a "new type" of anti-aircraft missile, according to the official KCNA agency on Thursday 25 December.
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