On Friday, North Korea reported the deployment of its premier operational “tactical nuclear assault submarine” designated for the fleet overseeing the seas between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
Submarine No. 841, christened Hero Kim Kun Ok after a historic North Korean figure, will serve as a primary “undersea attack vessel for the naval division” of North Korea, as declared by leader Kim Jong Un during Wednesday’s unveiling.
Experts believe the ship to be an adapted Soviet-era Romeo-class submarine. North Korea obtained this class from China in the 1970s and later started indigenous production. Its structure, featuring 10 missile hatches, suggests it’s likely equipped with ballistic and cruise missiles.
However, these armaments don’t considerably enhance the North’s already potent land-based nuclear arsenal. The submarines at this design’s foundation are older, producing more noise, moving slowly, and possessing restricted coverage. Consequently, their wartime longevity could be compromised, stated Vann Van Diepen, a prior U.S. arms specialist affiliated with Washington’s 38 North initiative.
“Upon its strategic deployment, it would be notably susceptible to allied submarine countermeasures,” he observed. “Militarily, this venture seems rather illogical.”
The South Korean defense sector remarked that the submarine seemed not yet operational-ready and hinted at North Korea overstating its proficiency.
However, Shin Seung-ki of Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) warned that neither South Korea nor the U.S. can confidently track and neutralize these submerged vessels.
“Undoubtedly, North Korea has vastly developed and fortified its naval capabilities from earlier times,” he commented.
During the unveiling, Kim stressed the immediate need to supply the naval division with nuclear armaments and vowed to introduce more nuclear-armed marine and surface ships, as informed by KCNA.
“This submarine introduction marks a pivotal evolution in reinforcing DPRK’s naval might,” KCNA noted, referencing North Korea’s official title, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kim disclosed plans for retrofitting existing submarines with nuclear capabilities and hastening their nuclear-powered submarine endeavors.
“For our naval might’s swift expansion… postponement isn’t an option, especially considering… recent hostile actions and military pursuits by adversaries,” North Korea’s head asserted, likely alluding to the U.S. and South Korea.
The UN Security Council prohibits North Korea’s nuclear and missile endeavors, leading to reproach from South Korea and Japan following the submarine’s introduction.
“North Korea’s defense operations now present an even more pressing and severe menace to our national security,” Japanese top official Hirokazu Matsuno conveyed in a meeting.
