World · Singapore Bureau
North Korea cites US nuclear sub activities to justify weapons expansion
Pyongyang has defended its accelerating development of nuclear-powered submarines, claiming the United States is driving an arms race in the region. The justification comes as North Korea intensifies efforts to field its own nuclear-armed submarine capability.
LSN Singapore ·
North Korea has attributed its expanding nuclear weapons programme to what it characterises as aggressive US military posturing, particularly regarding nuclear-powered submarine deployments in regional waters. Officials in Pyongyang framed the country's advancement of submarine technology as a necessary response to perceived threats from Washington and its allies.
The statement underscores deepening strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where the United States has increased naval operations and pledged to bolster its military presence. North Korea's push to develop a credible submarine-based nuclear deterrent represents a significant technological leap for the isolated nation and signals intensifying efforts to modernise its weapons arsenal.
Development of a functional nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarine would substantially alter the security balance on the Korean Peninsula and throughout Northeast Asia. Such a capability would enable Pyongyang to conduct undetected patrols and complicate missile defence systems operated by South Korea, Japan and the United States.
The North's weapons advancement programme has proceeded despite international sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Regional security analysts have expressed concern that the accelerating nuclear submarine race could trigger a broader arms escalation among regional powers seeking to maintain strategic balance.