North Korea Unveils Nuclear-Powered Submarine Progress Amidst Regional Tensions
On December 25, 2025, North Korean state media KCNA released photos showing leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter inspecting a largely completed 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine at an undisclosed North Korean shipyard. This marks the first state-media update on the submarine since March. KCNA reported that the submarine is intended for nuclear propulsion and signals plans to arm it with nuclear weapons, with Kim describing the project as crucial for modernizing and nuclear armament of the North Korean navy.
Seoul-based submarine expert Moon Keun-sik of Hanyang University assessed that the hull appears largely complete, with core components likely installed, suggesting that sea trials could be feasible within months, though the exact progress remains unclear.
In response, Kim Jong Un condemned South Korea's push to develop a nuclear-powered submarine, calling it an offensive act threatening North Korea's security and maritime sovereignty. This stance comes amid former President Donald Trump's support for Seoul's program; Trump previously indicated U.S. willingness to share technology with South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, claiming the vessel would be built in Philadelphia.
A White House fact sheet issued in November referenced the U.S.-South Korea maritime and nuclear partnership. The Associated Press contributed to the reporting.
