N. Korea vows to secure 'unsurvivable' retaliatory capability over S. Korea's nuclear submarine push: KCNA

North Korea has declared its intention to develop a retaliatory capability that would be so devastating, it would be deemed unsurvivable, in response to South Korea's progress in building a nuclear-powered submarine. The North's official news agency, KCNA, reported this stance on September 8, 2023. Jang Kum-chol, the first vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, stated in a KCNA commentary that South Korea's objective is to achieve nuclear independence, bypassing restrictions on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment, with the ultimate goal of nuclear armament.

Jang warned that South Korea's nuclear collaboration with the United States, specifically in the development of nuclear submarines, would exacerbate the instability on the Korean Peninsula and pose a significant threat to North Korea's security and maritime sovereignty. He emphasized that having the ability to deliver "unsurvivable, irrecoverable retaliatory strikes" would be the most prudent choice to deter potential warfare.