North korea: North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of instigating South Korea and Japan to push for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, using the criticism to justify its own nuclear buildup. The North made the criticism after a U.S. Navy official assessed Seoul and Tokyo's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines in a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the official expressed concerns over Seoul's motivations, suggesting that South Korea needs a clear operational rationale for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, rather than treating them as a "status symbol." Meanwhile, a more favorable view was voiced regarding Tokyo's ambitions to acquire such submarines. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs claimed these discussions were "intended to instigate" both countries "to possess nuclear submarines," accusing Washington of being "the major chieftain of the worldwide nuclear proliferation."
The North Korean analyst also claimed that the U.S. was using AUKUS, a security partnership comprising the U.S., Britain, and Australia, to extend nuclear submarine technology to its allies, like South Korea and Japan. The analyst argued that Washington's plan for an "AUKUS 2.0" has entered a phase of full-scale expansion, allowing the transfer of nuclear technology for munitions to non-nuclear allies.
AUKUS, announced in 2021 and signed in 2024, has enabled Australia to have its own nuclear-powered submarines using U.S. propulsion technology, facilitated by a U.S. exemption allowing the transfer of sensitive nuclear material. The pact is often seen as a possible benchmark for Seoul's future agreement with Washington.
North Korea further criticized the push by Seoul and Tokyo for nuclear-powered submarines, labeling them as "reckless acts." It argued that these actions demonstrate the extent to which the U.S. military is willing to go to contain its rival states in the Asia-Pacific region by setting up its allies as shock brigades. North Korea views this as a threat to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, emphasizing the need to "bolster up its nuclear war deterrent means both in quality and quantity without the slightest stagnation and stalemate."