Key facts
- North Korea accused the US of expanding a nuclear submarine alliance.
- North Korea cited US encouragement for Japan and South Korea to pursue nuclear-powered submarines.
- North Korea stated these developments justify its own nuclear deterrent buildup.
- North Korea's state media showed a largely completed hull of a submarine in December.
- A North Korean delegation departed Pyongyang for the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
North Korea accused the United States on Wednesday of expanding a "nuclear submarine alliance" that it said was undermining global nuclear security, as the fifth anniversary of its AUKUS defense pact with Australia and Britain approaches. State media outlet KCNA cited international affairs analyst Choe Ju Hyon, who alleged that a senior U.S. naval official encouraged Japan and South Korea to pursue nuclear-powered submarines. The commentary noted that the AUKUS pact, under which the U.S. and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, has become a template Washington is seeking to extend to other allies, including South Korea and Japan. North Korea stated that these developments justify its continued buildup of its own nuclear deterrent. In December, North Korean state media released photos showing the hull of a submarine, which Kim Jong Un had visited at a shipyard, described as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine and a crucial step in modernizing and arming the navy. Separately, KCNA reported that a delegation from North Korea's Ministry of National Defence, led by Vice Minister Kim Kang Il, departed Pyongyang on Tuesday to attend the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in China.