North Korea vows to respond to buildup of US, allied submarine forces — agency

Detailed summary

Kim Jong Sik, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, criticized the implementation of the AUKUS program a trilateral security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia

PYONGYANG, November 12. /TASS/. North Korea intends to take practical measures to bolster its military capabilities in response to plans by the United States and its allies to expand their nuclear submarine fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, Kim Jong Sik, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The buildup of naval forces by our adversaries and the resulting security threats pose a serious challenge. We will not limit ourselves to merely condemning these actions. We will suppress all threats with a demonstration of our actual power," Kim Jong Sik emphasized.

He criticized the implementation of the AUKUS program – a trilateral security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia – which, among other things, calls for equipping the Australian Navy with nuclear-powered submarines. He also highlighted South Korea’s plans to begin construction of its own nuclear submarines in 2027, with the aim of commissioning them by 2039.

Kim Jong Sik also drew attention to discussions in Japan regarding the possibility of acquiring nuclear submarines, as well as permitting US nuclear-armed submarines to enter Japanese ports. In his view, these initiatives are aimed at ensuring US naval superiority, threaten the strategic balance, and could trigger a new arms race in the region.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) "defense capabilities will continue to develop at an accelerated pace in light of new military threats from the US and its allies," Kim Jong Sik said. He emphasized that the DPRK will continue to strengthen its armed forces, considering this an exercise of its legitimate right to defend national sovereignty.

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