Kim Jong-un carried out an inspection of a nuclear-powered submarine under construction on Sunday, according to state media. One of the missions announced as part of the modernization of the regime’s army is to achieve the “nuclearization of the navy”. And while North Korea’s fleet is improving, it appears to need outside help to achieve its ambitious goals.
2 mins
with our correspondent in Seoul, Nicolas Rocca
From the port of Shinpo in the east of the country, Kim Jong-un supervised missile fire, and inspected the construction of a future nuclear-powered submarine. Although the North Korean press agency released photos of the new cruise missile tested for the first time last week, no photos of the submersible have leaked.
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North Korea intends to convert its older Romeo-class submarines to make them capable of carrying tactical nuclear missiles. But very old and very noisy, they cannot move significantly away from the North Korean coast, because they are easily detectable and above all they do not have the autonomy that a nuclear submarine would offer. Silent, and theoretically capable of remaining submerged for several months, it would drastically increase the nuclear threat to the North Korean regime.
Last September Kim Jong-un renewed his desire to achieve this objective by evoking a horizon of “ five years to ten years » for updating its navy. An unrealistic deadline without external help according to regime observers. But since Pyongyang has moved significantly closer to Russia to which it delivers arms and ammunition. To obtain his nuclear-powered submarine, Kim Jong-un will need the support of Vladimir Putin, who must visit “ soon in North Korea »
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