"Dangerous Development": South Korea's Nuclear Submarine Escalates Tensions Between Washington and Pyongyang

The North Korean Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that the United States' approval for its southern neighbor to build its first nuclear-powered submarine represents a "dangerous development" that exacerbates political and military instability in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang viewed this approval as further evidence of Washington's proliferation of nuclear weapons through the AUKUS agreement, accusing Washington of having a history of "extreme nuclear armament" that has led to the "collapse of the international nuclear order."

South Korea aims to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s, as part of a new program designed to counter nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korean submarines.

The agreement on Seoul's plan to build the nuclear submarine with Washington came within the framework of a trade deal concluded between the two allied countries last year.

In contrast, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong reaffirmed yesterday, Monday, that North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state is "irreversible under any circumstances or by any means," emphasizing that this status has become final, decisive, and non-negotiable.

Kim made these remarks during a speech delivered before the UN General Assembly in New York, where he defended North Korea's nuclear deterrent force as an invincible power to protect sovereignty, security, and peace against external threats.