North Korea has criticized the United States’ approval of South Korea’s plan to build its first nuclear-powered submarine, describing the move as a development that could add instability to the Asia-Pacific region.
In a statement published by North Korean state media, the Foreign Ministry called the US approval a “dangerous development” and accused Washington of contributing to what Pyongyang described as growing nuclear proliferation and a weakening of the international nuclear order.
South Korea plans to develop its first nuclear-powered submarine with the goal of launching it in the mid-2030s and deploying it later in the decade. Seoul has said the program is intended to strengthen its ability to respond to North Korea’s submarine-launched nuclear and missile threats.
The submarine program emerged from security agreements between Seoul and Washington reached during a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in 2025. South Korea has emphasized that the planned vessels would be conventionally armed rather than nuclear-armed.
The project also involves consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. South Korea formally notified the IAEA in September of its intention to begin discussions on a safeguards arrangement under Article 14 of its comprehensive safeguards agreement, which provides a framework for using nuclear material for non-nuclear military purposes such as naval propulsion.
The IAEA has said that an appropriate safeguards arrangement could address concerns surrounding the submarine program. Seoul has also reiterated its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, its comprehensive safeguards agreement and the Additional Protocol.
North Korea has previously criticized US support for nuclear-powered submarine projects involving South Korea and Japan. In September, Pyongyang accused Washington of encouraging both countries to pursue such capabilities and used the issue to criticize what it described as US-led nuclear proliferation.
The latest statement comes amid broader military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s continued development of nuclear and missile capabilities and recent military activity involving the two Koreas.
South Korea’s submarine project remains in its development and consultation stages, while North Korea’s latest warning adds another point of dispute between Pyongyang and the US-South Korea alliance.
