Kim Jong-un Inspects Domestic Nuclear Submarine, Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington Are Shocked

Pyongyang is strengthening its nuclear submarine capabilities under the guidance of the Juche ideology, with a displacement exceeding that of the U.S. "Virginia" class nuclear submarine

According to KCNA, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a nuclear submarine construction base along with his daughter, and in his speech urged further strengthening the country's "nuclear shield."

KCNA stated in its report: "Kim Jong-un personally guided the construction of a nuclear submarine with a displacement of 8,700 tons equipped with strategic cruise missiles."

By comparison, the surface full-load displacement of the U.S. "Virginia" class nuclear submarine is approximately 7,600 tons.

The report also said that the North Korean head of state "understood the progress in the development of a new underwater secret weapon, and clarified the strategic concept for naval restructuring and the establishment of new units."

During his visit to the construction site and meeting with staff members, Kim Jong-un emphasized that the construction of nuclear submarines holds significant meaning for implementing the country's self-defense policy. He regarded "further strengthening the nuclear shield" as the mission of the people of contemporary North Korea.

The general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea pointed out that South Korea is collaborating with the United States to develop a nuclear submarine, which will inevitably "cause instability on the Korean Peninsula." He stated: "We consider this an extremely provocative act, seriously infringing upon our national security and maritime sovereignty, and it is a security threat that must be countered."

Kim Jong-un emphasized, "In the face of the impending negative situation, accelerating the modernization of the North Korean navy and developing naval nuclear forces is an urgent task and an unavoidable necessity."

He also stated: "It is necessary for the enemy to clearly understand that if they dare to infringe upon our strategic sovereignty and security, they will have to pay a heavy price."

From the reactions of American and South Korean media, the move by North Korea to build a nuclear submarine has caused great anxiety in Washington and Seoul. What exactly is the strength of North Korea's submarine force today? To answer this question, we interviewed historian and North Korea expert Gleb Taragonskiy.

Q: Could you please introduce the development history of North Korea's submarine force?

A: It should be noted that throughout its entire history, North Korea has always been actively preparing for potential wars, where its potential adversaries have a significant advantage in terms of manpower and technical equipment. Therefore, the North Korean military and political leadership has been very cautious in the use of various weapons, including submarines.

According to U.S. sources, North Korea's navy currently has a large submarine force. This includes two modern diesel-electric submarines (the "Sinpo" class, introduced in 2014 and 2023), more than 40 "Shark" class diesel-electric coastal submarines, over 35 "Yugong" class small diesel-electric submarines, and about 20 "033" type diesel-electric submarines — reportedly these submarines are part of North Korea's special operations forces.

Q: What are the strategic tasks of North Korea's submarine force?

A: In the view of the North Korean leadership, if a conflict breaks out, the enemy led by South Korea, the United States, and its regional allies is likely to carry out amphibious operations. The core mission of North Korea's submarine force is to build an integrated defense system with surface ships, air force, artillery, and coastal defense forces on both the east and west coasts of the Korean Peninsula, to contain the enemy's military actions.

As for the small submarine force, it mainly focuses on transporting special forces behind enemy lines, as well as delivering weapons and ammunition to small groups operating behind enemy lines.

It is worth mentioning that North Korea has previously carried out similar operations. For example, the U.S. has pointed out that in the early 21st century, North Korean submarines were frequently seen near the Philippines — about 3,000 kilometers from North Korea! The U.S. stated that at that time, these submarines were transporting weapons to local guerrillas.

Q: Do North Korea's allies, Russia, and related countries provide assistance in building submarines?

A: Indeed, some submarines in the North Korean navy are either built using components from related countries or directly transferred submarines. However, overall, North Korea's submarines are mainly independently developed and produced.

We should not forget that North Korea's national policy originates from the Juche ideology and the "military-first" ideology, one of the core tenets of which is "anything that can be produced independently should be produced independently," especially in the field of defense industry. Moreover, it is worth noting that some of the equipment produced by North Korea is not exclusively used within the country. For example, the "Yugong" class small submarines have been exported to the Iranian navy.

Regarding cooperation between Russia and North Korea in the field of submarine construction, it is likely that such cooperation could be realized and would bring mutual benefits to both sides.

Additionally, in March this year, the Associated Press quoted the views of Professor Moon Kyung-jik, a South Korean submarine expert and professor at Seoul's Hanyang University, stating that Pyongyang may have obtained technical assistance for nuclear submarine nuclear reactors from Moscow in exchange for providing conventional weapons and sending troops to support the war in Ukraine.

However, this claim has not been officially verified so far.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7587811862046097956/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.