North Korea has just unveiled its first tactical nuclear attack submarine, amid rising tensions with the West.
While launching the nuclear weaponization of the North Korean navy, leader Kim Jong-Un declared that the new submarine is called “Hero Kim Kun Ok.”
According to KCNA, the launch is part of North Korea’s effort to strengthen its naval force so that it can fight in a potential nuclear conflict with the West.
To launch the new submarine, Kim Jong-Un’s regime held a festive ceremony that involved confetti and balloons.
During the ceremony, Kim Jong-Un announced “the strategic and tactical plan to continuously enhance the modernity of underwater and surface forces and push forward with the nuclear weaponization of the Navy in the future.”
Slaynews.com reports: On Thursday, the North Korean leader inspected the submarine as it was preparing for a test cruise.
According to Jong-Un, Submarine No. 841, aka “Hero Kim Kun Ok,” will carry out its combat mission as “one of the core underwater offensive means of the naval force” of North Korea.
State media said the submarine was assigned to the fleet patrolling the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
It was not immediately clear what missiles the new submarine would be armed with.
However, North Korea has test-fired several long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
The nation has also fired short-range SLBMs and cruise missiles that can be fired from submarines.
North Korea has a large submarine fleet but only the experimental ballistic missile submarine 8.24 Yongung (August 24th Hero) is known to have launched a missile.
According to the South Korean military, the submarine was launched from within the Sinpo shipyard in southern North Korea.
Kim Inae, a spokesperson at Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said that North Korea’s move was “deplorable.”
She expressed her dismay at Kim Jong-Un channeling his limited resources into developing weapons while ignoring the state of his impoverished people.
The North Korean people are believed to be suffering from widespread poverty and famine.
When asked if Russia may have assisted North Korea on its new submarine, the spokesperson did not provide a specific answer.