North Korea’s move to publicly reveal the full hull and displacement of its first nuclear-powered submarine under construction appears to be a strategic counter to bids by the US and South Korea to expand their undersea capabilities.
North Korea’s state media on Thursday released images of leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a “nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine” being built at an undisclosed location. Kim was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae, believed to be groomed as a possible successor.
The report also revealed for the first time that the vessel’s displacement was 8,700 tonnes (9,600 tons), putting it in the same league as some American fast attack submarines.
In photos accompanying project reports in March, only the lower portion of the hull was shown.
The scale of a nuclear-powered submarine under construction in North Korea can be seen in a photo released on December 25. Photo: KCNA/AP
“By publicising [its] progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea is responding to the South’s move to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines,” Hong Min, director of the Korea Institute for National Unification’s North Korean Research Division, told This Week in Asia.