North Korea has shown off for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the United States.
State media has released photos of what it describes as a “nuclear-powered submarine with strategic guided missiles.”
The media reported that leader Kim Jong Un visited a large shipyard where warships are being built.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not release details about the submarine, but said Kim had been briefed on its construction.
The submarine appears to be in the 6,000- or 7,000-ton class, capable of carrying about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Hanyang University in Seoul.
He told the AP that the use of the term “strategic guided missiles” means it will carry nuclear weapons.
“That would be absolutely dangerous for us and the United States,” Moon said.
The nuclear-powered submarine has long been on the list of sophisticated weapons that Kim has promised to introduce in 2021.
He said at the time that the new weapons would help the country deal with escalating military threats, primarily from the United States.
Other weapons include solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and missiles with multiple warheads.
