N. Korea slams US over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push

On Wednesday, North Korea criticized the United States for inciting South Korea and Japan to seek nuclear-powered submarines, using this criticism to justify its own nuclear expansion. This accusation came after a U.S. Navy official discussed Seoul and Tokyo's interest in nuclear-powered submarines during a press briefing in Hawaii on Thursday.

The official expressed skepticism about Seoul's need for clear operational reasons to pursue these submarines, labeling them as merely a "status symbol," while offering a more positive outlook on Tokyo's ambitions to acquire them. A North Korean commentary, published by the Korean Central News Agency, suggested that these discussions were aimed at persuading both countries to acquire nuclear submarines, and accused the U.S. of being the leading figure in global nuclear proliferation.

The analyst also alleged that Washington was utilizing AUKUS, a tripartite security agreement involving the U.S., Britain, and Australia, to disseminate nuclear submarine technology to allies such as South Korea and Japan.