The air is thick with speculation as North Korea’s first nuclear ballistic missile submarine takes shape, poised to alter the strategic balance in the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent inspection of this complex project marks a significant step forward in the hermit nation’s nuclear development. Kim’s inspection, shown by photographs and stories in the official media KCNA, underscores Pyongyang’s technological and strategic aspirations. The disclosure, which coincided with the beginning of United States-South Korean military drills, was meant to highlight North’s expanding military power in front of mounting tensions over the joint drill. Allegedly built with Russian help, the submarine highlights the Kim regime’s will to confirm North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state capable of directly confronting regional powers. The article explores the importance of this development as well as the broad geopolitical consequences the nuclear vessel generates for the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
North Korea’s Growing SSBN Capabilities: Strategic Implications
