North Korea Condemns US Plan to Deploy Nuclear Submarine

 North Korea has strongly condemned a recent US plan to deploy a nuclear-armed submarine to waters near the Korean peninsula, warning it could incite a devastating atomic conflict.

A spokesperson for the North Korean defence ministry said the US move – agreed to by the US and South Korea during an April summit – would introduce US strategic nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula for the first time since 1981 and would be "blatant nuclear blackmail" against North Korea and regional countries.

The KCNA statement added that the US will be held fully responsible if any unexpected situation arises in the region due to its plan. The US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, agreed in Washington in April that a US Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will visit South Korea, though no timetable has been given for such a visit.

The US has also sent a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine to the port of Busan in South Korea last month, while in June, a US B-52 strategic bomber took part in air military drills with South Korea in a show of force.

North Korea claims US reconnaissance planes recently violated its air space near the east coast, and warned that “there is no guarantee that a shocking incident where a US air force strategic reconnaissance plane is shot down over the East Sea will not happen”.

In response to the US move, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to attend an annual NATO summit being held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yoon says he wants to opt for peace through strength but remains open to dialogue with North Korea. He added that strong international sanctions against North Korea have the effect of preventing the advancement of its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Yoon will attend the NATO summit along with the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand, a sign of strengthening ties between NATO and nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

North Korea has warned that the US plan could lead to an extreme situation in the Korean peninsula region that nobody wants and has urged Washington to take responsibility if any unexpected situation arises.