{
  "id": 7680717,
  "title": "N. Korea slams US over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/n-korea-slams-us-over-s-korea-japans-nuclear-submarine-push",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T02:07:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20260916/n-korea-slams-us-over-s-korea-japans-nuclear-submarine-push"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "North Korea reacted harshly to the United States on Wednesday, accusing it of inciting South Korea and Japan to seek nuclear-powered submarines. This criticism served to bolster North Korea's own nuclear program. The North made this allegation following a U.S. Navy official's assessment of Seoul and Tokyo's quest for nuclear-powered submarines in a news conference in Hawaii on Thursday. The official expressed that Seoul should have a clear operational reason for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, rather than viewing them as mere symbols of status. He also took a more favorable stance on Tokyo's efforts to acquire such submarines. In a commentary published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs argued that the discussions were aimed at prompting both countries to acquire nuclear submarines. The analyst accused Washington of being the principal instigator of global nuclear proliferation. The analyst also claimed that Washington was using AUKUS, a defense alliance involving the U.S., Britain, and Australia, to disseminate nuclear submarine technology to its allies, including South Korea and Japan.",
  "summary": "North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of instigating South Korea and Japan to push for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, using the criticism to justify its own nuclear buildup. The North made the criticism after a U.S. Navy official assessed Seoul and Tokyo's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines in a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday. The official said Seoul needs a…",
  "key_points": [
    "North Korea accuses US of inciting South Korea, Japan for nuclear submarines",
    "US Navy official says Seoul should have clear operational reason for nuclear submarines",
    "Analyst blames US for global nuclear proliferation via AUKUS alliance"
  ],
  "editors_take": "North Korea's criticism of the US for encouraging South Korea and Japan to seek nuclear-powered submarines serves to justify and bolster its own nuclear program, portraying Washington as a global proliferator.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "N. Korea's minister-led delegation departs for Asian Games in Japan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/n-koreas-minister-led-delegation-departs-for-asian-games-in-japan",
        "published": "2026-09-16T00:07:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "N. Korea slams U.S. over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/n-korea-slams-u-s-over-s-korea-japans-nuclear-submarine-push",
        "published": "2026-09-16T01:40:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}