North Korea Condemns U.S. Approval of South Korea’s Nuclear-Powered Submarine Program

On September 29, the North Korean foreign ministry, via the state news agency KCNA, issued a statement denouncing the United States’ approval of South Korea’s plan to build its first nuclear-powered submarine. The ministry described the approval as “a dangerous development” that adds new instability to the political and military environment of the Asia-Pacific region and framed it as evidence of U.S. nuclear proliferation through the AUKUS pact.

The Straits TimesUsNews and World ReportNorth Korea Slams Seoul's Nuclear Submarine Plan as "Nuclear Ambition" In a relatively mild speech, North Korea uses UN platform to lament 'mutual distrust' and tension North Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension

South Korea has announced a programme to construct a nuclear-powered submarine, with the first vessel slated for launch in the mid-2030s. The initiative is intended to counter North Korea’s submarine-launched nuclear and missile capabilities. The programme was formalised in a trade deal between Seoul and Washington in 2025, under which the United States gave its consent for South Korea to pursue the nuclear-submarine project using low-enriched uranium fuel.

UsNews and World ReportThe Straits TimesNorth Korea Slams Seoul's Nuclear Submarine Plan as "Nuclear Ambition" In a relatively mild speech, North Korea uses UN platform to lament 'mutual distrust' and tension North Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension

The North Korean ministry cited historical U.S. nuclear deployment figures to support its claim of a “radical nuclear arms buildup.” It alleged that U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in the Asia-Pacific region increased from roughly 1,700 around 1960 to about 3,200 in 1967, and that approximately 1,720 nuclear weapons had been deployed in South Korea by 1985. The ministry also asserted that the United States approved uranium-enrichment activities in the 2015 negotiations to revise the bilateral nuclear-energy agreement, which it said effectively gave South Korea a “green light” to pursue weapons-grade enrichment.

North Korea Slams Seoul's Nuclear Submarine Plan as "Nuclear Ambition" The Straits TimesUsNews and World ReportNorth Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension In a relatively mild speech, North Korea uses UN platform to lament 'mutual distrust' and tension

• The foreign ministry’s statement, released through KCNA, framed the U.S.

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• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Son Gyong reiterated the ministry’s position at the United Nations General Assembly, warning of “extreme instability” on the Korean peninsula caused by the United States, Japan, and South Korea’s “more aggressive military bloc” that incorporates a nuclear dimension.

North Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension

• He also linked the South Korean submarine ambition to a broader “dangerous nuclear ambition” to acquire weapons-grade material.

North Korea Slams Seoul's Nuclear Submarine Plan as "Nuclear Ambition"

• In the same statement, the ministry defended North Korea’s own nuclear deterrent, claiming it “safeguards sovereignty, security and peace” and that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s nuclear status is “firmly, permanently, and irreversibly consolidated.”

North Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension

The North Korean narrative positions the South Korean nuclear-submarine programme as a catalyst for regional destabilisation and as part of a perceived U.S.-led strategy to expand nuclear capabilities in East Asia. By portraying the United States’ approval as a continuation of historical proliferation, the ministry seeks to justify its own nuclear posture and to rally domestic and international opposition to the submarine project. The statements also underscore heightened diplomatic tensions among the United States, South Korea, Japan, and North Korea, potentially influencing future security dialogues and military planning in the region.

The Straits TimesUsNews and World ReportNorth Korea Slams Seoul's Nuclear Submarine Plan as "Nuclear Ambition" In a relatively mild speech, North Korea uses UN platform to lament 'mutual distrust' and tension North Korea accuses the US, Japan, and Seoul of escalating tension

The sources provide extensive quotations from North Korean officials but do not include any official response from the United States, South Korea, or Japan. Consequently, the article lacks direct commentary from the parties whose actions are being criticised, leaving a gap in the public record of their positions on the submarine programme and the alleged proliferation concerns.

In a relatively mild speech, North Korea uses UN platform to lament 'mutual distrust' and tension