North Korea reacted with sharp criticism to South Korea’s plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine together with America. State news agency KCNA spoke of a “hot arms race” and a “nuclear domino effect.”
North Korea strongly criticized the agreement between South Korea and America to build nuclear submarines. It is a “dangerous attempt at confrontation” and carries the risk of a “nuclear domino effect,” state news agency KCNA wrote on Tuesday. If South Korea had nuclear-powered submarines, this could lead to a “heated arms race.”
South Korea has no “hostile intentions”
The presidential office in Seoul later stated that South Korea had no “hostile intentions” towards its neighbor.
Last week, South Korea announced the conclusion of a security and trade agreement with the US, which will also build nuclear-powered submarines. So far, the country only has diesel-powered submarines. President Lee Jae Myung has emphasized that South Korea has no plans to build submarines equipped with nuclear weapons. Diesel submarines can only stay underwater for shorter periods, “which limits our ability to track North Korean or Chinese submarines,” Lee said.
The US has tens of thousands of troops in South Korea
In contrast, North Korea has nuclear weapons. These two neighboring countries are officially still at war more than seven decades after the end of the Korean War in 1953. The US has stationed tens of thousands of troops in South Korea, in part to protect South Korea.
