North Korea: AUKUS submarine push justifies nuclear buildup — SkimNews
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- North Korea on Wednesday accused the US of expanding a "nuclear submarine alliance" that undermines global nuclear security, as the fifth anniversary of the AUKUS defence pact approaches.
- KCNA cited international affairs analyst Choe Ju Hyon, who accused a senior US naval official of encouraging Japan and South Korea to pursue nuclear-powered submarines.
- The commentary described AUKUS — under which the US and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines — as a template Washington seeks to extend to Seoul and Tokyo.
- Kim Jong Un visited a shipyard in December to inspect what state media called an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, part of North Korea's own push for a nuclear-armed sub.
- A North Korean defense delegation led by Vice Minister Kim Kang Il departed Pyongyang on Tuesday for the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in China.
Why it matters: North Korea is recasting its nuclear arsenal as a defensive response to US-led proliferation rather than an aggressive initiative, a framing that gives Pyongyang rhetorical cover to keep building. With Seoul pursuing and Tokyo openly discussing nuclear-powered submarines, the AUKUS template is spreading the very capability Pyongyang cites to justify accelerating its own programs.
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