Nuclear-powered submarines for South Korea will inevitably provoke an arms race, Pyongyang stated. The DPRK is preparing countermeasures in response to the 'confrontational intentions' of Washington and Seoul, DW reports.
North Korea believes that the agreement between Seoul and Washington on the construction of submarines with nuclear power plants will trigger a 'nuclear domino' effect in the region. This was stated in a message from the North Korean state agency KCNA, published on Tuesday, November 18.
"The possession of a nuclear submarine by South Korea as a basis for embarking on a path of 'independent nuclear armament' will inevitably cause a 'nuclear domino phenomenon' in the region and more serious arms races," the message said. The DPRK will "take more appropriate, realistic, and responsive measures" in connection with the "confrontational intentions" of the United States and the Republic of Korea.
The agreement between the two countries is a "serious situation that destabilizes the military security environment not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the Asia-Pacific region and causes an uncontrollable nuclear situation on a global scale," North Korea believes.
Construction of Submarines for Seoul
Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced the conclusion of an agreement with the United States in the fields of security and trade, which includes plans for the construction of submarines. Washington also supported allowing Seoul to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.
Donald Trump's support for the idea of South Korea building and operating submarines with nuclear power plants has raised concerns in the East Asian region. Following negotiations on October 29 with Lee Jae-myung, the White House host announced that the first submarine for Seoul would be built "at the shipyards in Philadelphia." Currently, the South Korean Navy only has diesel and electric submarines.
At present, submarines with nuclear engines are possessed by six countries: the USA, Russia, the UK, France, China, and India. Several other countries are only developing such submarines, including the authorities of the DPRK.
Experts warn that both Koreas are rapidly becoming embroiled in an arms race, while other Northeast Asian countries are increasing defense spending. "There is no doubt that we are already in an arms race. Among the US allies in the region, there is growing concern about American security promises," said Andrei Lankov, a professor of history and international relations at Seoul's Kookmin University, in an interview with DW.
Leave a comment