North Korea touted its progress in building a nuclear-powered submarine, releasing photos through state media on Thursday showing a largely completely vessel.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released photos showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting a shipyard and inspecting the massive, burgundy-colored vessel, which the North describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine.
Kim visited the shipyard to inspect the construction of the submarine and receive a report on its progress, according to KCNA, which did not say when the visit took place.
The North Korean leader has described the vessel as an important step in the modernization of its Navy, to guard against what Kim sees as growing military threats led by the U.S.
The development of a nuclear-powered submarine could be a worrying prospect for North Korean neighbors, since the vessel would be able to launch missiles underwater, which could be difficult to detect in advance.
But questions have lingered about whether North Korea could obtain the necessary resources to build the submarines. Some experts have suggested North Korea’s recent alignment with Russia may have helped the country acquire the necessary technology, but others say North Korea likely designed its own nuclear reactor.
Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University, told The Associated Press the latest photos released by North Korean state media suggest the vessel could be largely completed. Moon said submarines are typically built from the inside out, so the photos of the submarine suggest core components, like an engine and reactor, are likely already in place.
Moon, a former submarine officer in the South Korean navy, said the North Korean submarine could possibly begin testing at sea within months.
“Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,” Moon said.
South Korea has sought to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarine, a move that is backed by President Trump and which Kim, during his visit to the shipyard, called an “offensive act” that violates his country’s security and maritime sovereignty.
The Associated Press contributed.
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