North Korea justifies nuclear buildup citing US arms expansion

North Korea also accused the US on Wednesday of undermining global nuclear security by expanding a "nuclear submarine alliance." State media cited an international affairs analyst, Choe Ju-hyon, who claimed a senior US naval official encouraged Japan and South Korea to pursue nuclear-powered submarines. The commentary noted that the AUKUS pact, under which the US and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, has become a template Washington is seeking to extend to other allies. This development, along with Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and discussions in Tokyo, was cited as justification for North Korea's continued buildup of its own nuclear deterrent.

North Korea has been advancing its own push for a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarine. In December, photos released by North Korean state media showed a largely completed hull of a submarine that Kim Kang Il inspected at a shipyard, described as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine and a crucial step in modernizing and arming the navy.