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The Independent
11-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Everything we know about North Korea's nuclear-powered submarine
North Korea 's nuclear-powered submarine, believed to be built with Russian technology, could pose major security concerns to neighbour South Korea and its ally, the US, due to its capabilities, experts say. North Korea for the first time on Saturday unveiled the photos of what it called an under-construction"nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine", according to state media Korean Central News Agency. A nuclear-powered submarine was among the long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that the North's leader Kim Jong Un had vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to tackle US-led "military threats". During the inspection of the submarine, Mr Kim warned that Pyongyan would never tolerate "maritime and underwater military activities of the hostile forces, which seriously threaten the country's sovereignty and interests through the constant deployment of strategic assets". 'Overwhelmingly powerful warships must serve as a strong nuclear deterrent against hostile forces' habitual 'gunboat diplomacy'," he added, according to state-media Rodong Sinmun. Photos of the submarine were tactically released just two days before South Korea and the US kicked off their annual 'Freedom Shield 2025' drills, which will run through 20 March. Features of the submarine: The photos released by the state media on Saturday partially revealed only the lower hull of the large vessel and 15 rail-based cradle stands. The unnamed naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-tonne-class or 7,000-tonne-class, one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University. He said the use of the term "the strategic guided missiles" meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. The vessel appears to be docked at the Chongjin Shipyard and is at least 117m long, according to NK News. The submarine is likely twice the size of Hero Kim Kun Ok – the North's first ballistic missile submarine revealed in 2023. Pyongyang already has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the world's largest fleets. However, they are mostly aging vessels capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles. North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016, but all launches were made from the same 2,000-tonne-class submarine which has a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform, rather than an operational submarine in active service. Use of Russian technology Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced. Experts believe the North may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support Russia's war efforts against Ukraine. About 12,000 North Korean troops are already fighting for Russia in Moscow's war against Kyiv, according to South Korea's spy agency. Given the size and shape of the submarine, it's believed to be a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), said Yang Uk, a defence expert and research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He told the Korea Times that the photos suggest the submarine has been under construction for more than two years. North Korea may have received technology from Russia in the latter half of 2023, he added. When will the submarine be deployed? The North could take "at least four to five more years to deploy the submarine into the Pacific Ocean" as it still needs to conduct more procedures including testing, experts believe. However, if the North has indeed received assistance from Moscow in developing compact nuclear reactors capable of withstanding deep-sea pressure, the vessel could be deployed faster. Pyongyang may also intend to deploy the ships to international waters beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit of a country's territorial sea. What are North Korea's opponents saying? The North Korea has been dialling up its fiery rhetoric against the US and South Korea ahead of their annual military drills, which will involve responsed to evolving challenges like Pyongyang's growing partnership with Moscow. Pyongyang obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because it is difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance. During his visits to the shipyards, Mr Kim said North Korea aims to modernise water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously. He stressed the need to make "the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfil their mission" to contain "the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces". South Korea's ministry of unification said it is closely monitoring any signs of Russia's transfer of technologies to North Korea. 'The transfer of military technology to North Korea is prohibited under UN Security Council resolutions. Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, must abide by UN sanctions on North Korea,' unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byung Sam told reporters. US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said: "We're aware of these claims and do not have additional information to provide at this time. "The US is committed to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea."
Saba Yemen
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Pyongyang fires "unidentified" ballistic missiles
Seoul - Saba: Pyongyang fired "a number of unidentified ballistic missiles" on Monday as Washington and Seoul began their annual joint military drills, "Freedom Shield," according to the South Korean military. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "Our military detected at approximately 1:15 p.m. (4:50 GMT) a number of unidentified ballistic missiles launched from Hwanghae Province toward the West Sea," the Korean name for the Yellow Sea. The same source added in a statement: "Our forces will enhance surveillance and remain fully prepared in close cooperation with the United States." These drills, which began on Monday, include "live, simulated and field training," according to a US statement, which indicated that they will continue until March 21. North Korea earlier on Monday condemned the "Freedom Shield 2025" drills as a "provocation", warning of the risk of war breaking out with "one accidental shot". "This is a serious provocation that will escalate the situation on the Korean peninsula and could lead to a conflict between the two sides with one accidental shot," the foreign ministry was quoted as saying by state media. Pyongyang regularly denounces military cooperation between the United States and South Korea, viewing the drills as preparation for invasion, and often responds with missile tests. The two Koreas have remained technically at war since their 1950-53 hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The United States has tens of thousands of troops in South Korea, and the "Freedom Shield" drills are the largest annual joint exercises between the allies.
Khaleej Times
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
N. Korea warns of 'accidental' war risk from US-South Korea drills
North Korea on Monday condemned joint US-South Korean military drills as a "provocative act", warning of the danger of sparking war with "an accidental single shot," days after Seoul's air force mistakenly bombed a village on its own territory. "This is a dangerous provocative act of leading the acute situation on the Korean peninsula, which may spark off a physical conflict between the two sides by means of an accidental single shot," said Pyongyang's foreign ministry, as quoted by state media. The joint US-South Korea "Freedom Shield 2025" exercise was set to kick off on Monday, and will involve "live, virtual, and field-based training", according to a US statement. The exercise will run until March 21, the statement said. Military cooperation between Seoul and Washington regularly invites condemnation from Pyongyang, where the government sees such moves as preparation for an invasion, and often carries out missile tests in response. The latest exercise comes after two South Korean Air Force fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village during a joint training exercise with US forces on March 6. Fifteen people, including civilians and military personnel, were wounded in that incident, South Korea's National Fire Agency said. Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions. The two Koreas remain technically at war since their 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The United States stations tens of thousands of soldiers in the South, in part to protect Seoul against Pyongyang. The large-scale Freedom Shield exercises are one of the allies' biggest annual joint exercises. In its statement on Monday, North Korea's foreign ministry dubbed the exercises "an aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal". Last week, Pyongyang slammed the United States for "political and military provocations" over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan. © Agence France-Presse
Khaleej Times
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
North Korea fires missiles as South begins drills with US
North Korea fired "multiple unidentified ballistic missiles" on Monday, South Korea's military said, the same day Seoul and Washington began a major annual joint military drill known as Freedom Shield. "Our military has detected at around 13:50 (0450 GMT) multiple unidentified ballistic missiles fired from Hwanghae province into the West Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Yellow Sea. "Our military will bolster surveillance and maintain a full readiness posture under close cooperation with the United States," the JCS added. The United States stations tens of thousands of US soldiers in South Korea, and the allies regularly stage joint drills, which they describe as defensive in nature. But such exercises infurate Pyongyang, which regards them as rehearsals for invasion and routinely responds with weapons tests of its own. Earlier Monday, the nuclear-armed North slammed the drills as a "provocative act", warning of the danger of sparking war with "an accidental single shot". "This is a dangerous provocative act of leading the acute situation on the Korean peninsula, which may spark off a physical conflict between the two sides by means of an accidental single shot," said Pyongyang's foreign ministry, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The joint US-South Korea "Freedom Shield 2025" exercise kicked off on Monday, and will involve "live, virtual, and field-based training", according to a US statement. The exercise will run until March 20, the statement said. The latest exercise comes after two South Korean Air Force fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village during a joint training exercise with US forces on March 6. Some 31 people, including civilians and military personnel, were wounded in that incident, South Korea's military said. Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions. The two Koreas remain technically at war since their 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The large-scale Freedom Shield exercises are one of the allies' biggest annual joint exercises. In its statement on Monday, North Korea's foreign ministry dubbed the exercises "an aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal". Last week, Pyongyang slammed the United States for "political and military provocations" over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
North Korea fires ballistic missiles after warning of ‘physical conflict' over US-South Korea drills
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its west coast on Monday, not long after warning of the risk of 'physical conflict' over the US and South Korea kicking off their annual military drills. South Korea's military said it detected the launch of missiles from the Hwanghae province of the North into the Yellow Sea around 1.50pm on Monday. It did not provide further details. The missiles were fired soon after Pyongyang condemned the drills by the US and South Korea as a 'dangerous provocative act' and warned of the risk of conflict. The annual 'Freedom Shield 2025' drills, a simulated command post training and related field exercises, started on Monday and were scheduled to end on 20 March. A live-fire drill in preparation for Freedom Shield last week caused alarm and protests in the South after military jets accidentally bombed civilians in a rural region, injuring at least 29 people. A pair of South Korean KF-16 fighters dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a firing range, the air force said in a statement apologising for the incident. The United States Forces Korea said in a statement that no American aircraft were involved in the exercise at the time of the incident. The foreign ministry in Pyongyang described the ongoing drills as an 'aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal' that threatened the ceasefire on the Korean peninsula, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. 'This is a dangerous provocative act of leading the acute situation on the Korean peninsula which may spark off a physical conflict between the two sides by means of an accidental single shot, to the extreme point,' it said. Any kind of military cooperation or drills between Washington and Seoul is viewed as a rehearsal for invasion by Pyongyang, which often responds with the test firing of missiles and fiery rhetoric. The US and South Korea maintain that the drills are necessary to prepare their joint defences in the event of an attack by North Korea. Meanwhile, North Korea on Saturday unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time. Strategic experts said the weapons system could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. Pictures released by state media showed leader Kim Jong Un visiting an under-construction 'nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine'.
