On Thursday, North Korea released new images of what it calls its first nuclear submarine—a large vessel comparable in size to some U.S. Navy attack submarines, CNN reports.
Photos released by state media show the country's leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a submarine with guided missile capabilities at a covered construction site, indicating that it has not yet been launched.
The creation of a nuclear submarine has been a long-standing goal of Kim, which he first mentioned at a ruling party congress in 2021; however, the fact that the rival South Korea was recently given the green light by the Trump administration to develop its own nuclear submarines seems to have added urgency to these plans.
Such vessels have numerous advantages. They can remain underwater for extended periods—effectively for years, if there are enough supplies for the crew—whereas most conventional submarines must surface to take in air to run diesel engines, which in turn charge batteries for underwater movement.
In general, they are also faster than conventional submarines and often quieter. Currently, only the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and India possess nuclear submarine technology.
Images published on Thursday show that significant progress has been made in the construction of the submarine, the existence of which was first announced in March.
State media reported that the vessel has a displacement of 8,700 tons, making it comparable to most Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines in the U.S. fleet.
On Thursday, Kim reiterated the importance of such vessels for Pyongyang's defense policy, which he stated is "literally... based on the most powerful offensive capability," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"We consider super-powerful offensive potential as the best shield for national security in the development of armed forces," KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
Kim oversees a massive buildup of the country's military capabilities under a five-year plan announced in 2021.
This includes various types of missiles, including ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental United States, hypersonic glide vehicles that may be difficult to defend against, as well as at sea—two new destroyers with guided missile capabilities.
The second of these attracted attention earlier this year when it capsized during its launch. The military vessel was subsequently righted and apparently repaired.
The new submarine was not the only hint at North Korea's future appearing in the images released on Thursday.
Photos of the event show that Kim was accompanied by his daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae. She has made several public appearances recently, raising speculation that he is grooming a future successor.
