North Korean authorities have criticized South Korea's pursuit of building nuclear-powered submarines, threatening to acquire retaliatory strike capabilities that would eliminate the survival of enemy states.

Chang Kum-chol, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the 10th Bureau who oversees inter-Korean relations, stated in a press statement released through the Korean Central News Agency on the 12th that "South Korea's attempt to acquire nuclear submarines will inevitably result in triggering a nuclear domino effect in the Asia-Pacific region."

He went on to justify Pyongyang's nuclear possession, claiming that "possessing peerless strength to respond to the military maneuvers of hostile countries with irrevocable and unrecoverable retaliatory strikes will be the most responsible choice for war deterrence."

In the statement, Chang detailed discussions held by South Korea and U.S. authorities regarding the promotion of nuclear submarines, including remarks made by President Lee Jae-myung at the first meeting of the Future Defense Strategy Committee in May, where he described the push for nuclear submarine construction as "a symbol of our determination to take charge of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula ourselves."

Chang also claimed that South Korea's ambition dates back to 2003, arguing that "South Korea has been secretly advancing plans to build nuclear submarines since 2003, some 20 years ago." He maintained that this proves South Korea's nuclear submarine ambitions are neither a "reflexive measure" against North Korea's nuclear capabilities nor a defensive step to counter "regional threats."

He further argued that "South Korea's ultimate goal is to break free from the shackles of clauses banning the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and uranium enrichment, secure the right to produce nuclear materials, and ultimately lay the groundwork for a leap toward nuclear armament." He added, "No matter how much South Korea rambles about anyone's 'nuclear threat' or 'enhancing independent defense capabilities' while focusing on developing nuclear submarines with self-armed nuclear capabilities in sight, its ulterior motives can never be diluted."

Chang also stated that "South Korea's acquisition of nuclear submarines is inevitably a preparatory step to evolve the trilateral military alliance of the United States, Japan, and South Korea into a 'second AUKUS' (the security pact between the U.S., UK, and Australia)." He added that this would inevitably lead to facing the turbulent confrontation whipped up by a U.S.-led nuclear submarine alliance spanning the Asia-Pacific region, including the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea.

He emphasized that South Korea's push to introduce nuclear submarines is "a grave challenge to our nation's security and maritime sovereignty, and a security threat that must be addressed."

In addition, he asserted the legitimacy of North Korea's defense buildup, stating that it "reminds us why possessing the most complete and complex operational combat capabilities to reliably safeguard national maritime sovereignty while proactively and preemptively coping with any changes in the security environment is an indispensable, primary national strategic project."

(Photo: Yonhap News)