North Korea’s Kim calls US-Seoul nuclear submarine deal an ‘offensive act’ | Kim Jong Un News

Kim Jong Un made the comments Wednesday while inspecting a North Korean nuclear submarine facility.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un denounced a new nuclear submarine deal between the United States and South Korea, describing it as a threat to the stability of the Korean Peninsula, as he toured his country’s submarine production facilities, according to North Korean state media.

Kim said the agreement between Seoul and Washington was an “offensive act seriously violating [Pyongyang’s] maritime security and sovereignty and a security threat that must be countered,” according to state media KCNA.

It is now urgent to “further accelerate the radical development of modernization and nuclear armament of the naval force” of North Korea, Kim said, according to the report.

Kim made the remarks while visiting a facility on Wednesday where Pyongyang is working on an “8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine.”

The North Korean leader also oversaw the test-firing of a new high-altitude, long-range anti-aircraft missile in the Sea of ​​Japan on Wednesday, according to KCNA, which the media outlet called the “East Sea of ​​Korea.”

KCNA reported that the test was successful and the missile managed to hit a mock target at an altitude of 200 kilometers (124 miles).

The developments came as Seoul said it was pursuing a “standalone deal” with the United States to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

U.S. law prohibits the transfer of nuclear materials for military purposes, but South Korea could benefit from an exemption from U.S. President Donald Trump, the East Asian country’s national security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, told media after a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Australia has a similar deal with the United States to build its own nuclear-powered submarines, Wi said, and negotiations with Washington are expected to begin early next year.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin also sent Kim New Year greetings on Wednesday, thanking him for his continued military support for the war in Ukraine. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops since 2024 to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine and parts of Russia that Ukrainian soldiers briefly captured in counter-offensive operations.

“The heroic entry of Korean People’s Army soldiers into the battles to liberate the Kursk region from the occupiers and the subsequent activities of Korean engineers in the territory of Russia clearly proved the invincible friendship and militant brotherhood” between Russia and North Korea, Putin said, according to a KCNA report.

Putin also hailed the success of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 2024, KCNA reported, saying that in the future he hoped to “strengthen friendly and alliance relations by all means and carry out constructive cooperation on regional and international issues.”