North Korea warns of ‘nuclear dominoes’ in Asia if South acquires nuclear submarines

North Korea has expressed severe concerns over South Korea's plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with the United States. Jang Kum-chol, the first vice minister of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, warned that such a move would inevitably lead to "nuclear dominoes" in the Asia-Pacific region. He argued that possessing nuclear submarines capable of delivering a "retaliatory attack" that is "impossible to survive" would be the best way to deter a potential war.

The North Korean diplomat defended his country's nuclear weapons development as a means to protect its maritime sovereignty. Jang also accused South Korea of secretly pursuing nuclear submarines since 2003, claiming the plan was not a response to North Korea's nuclear weapons but a deliberate attempt to acquire them. He further criticized South Korea's plan to revise its agreement on nuclear cooperation with the US, or the 123 Agreement, to allow uranium enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel.

This, according to Jang, would pave the way for South Korea to leap forward into nuclear armament. He also criticized Japan for allegedly being on the verge of abandoning its "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" to accommodate South Korea's nuclear submarine scheme. North Korea sees South Korea's proposed nuclear submarines as part of the US' broader hegemonic strategy, forecasting a "second AUKUS" tripartite military alliance involving the US, Japan, and South Korea.

If overlooked, this could trigger a wave of confrontation across the Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea, according to Jang.