NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA ESCALATE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE RIVALRY. (PHOTO).

 North and South Korea escalate nuclear submarine rivalry

 An arms race for nuclear-powered submarines is intensifying between North and South Korea as shifts in U.S. security strategy influence the region.

North Korea unveiled on Thursday a photo of what it described as an “8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine,” marking the first time the country revealed both the tonnage and the apparently completed hull since announcing its nuclear submarine program in 2021. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the vessel is intended to protect the country against a “negative security situation” and criticized South Korea’s own nuclear submarine plans as “an offensive act … that must be countered.”

South Korea has accelerated its nuclear submarine program following U.S. approval in October. Seoul launched a pan-government task force last week and is negotiating a deal for the U.S. to supply military-use nuclear fuel, according to national security adviser Wi Sung-lac. The move comes as the U.S. encourages allies to shoulder more responsibility for their own defense and expand military capabilities.

South Korea has long sought nuclear submarines to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear and maritime threats, which include submarine-launched nuclear missiles and nuclear-capable torpedoes. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said in October that conventional diesel-powered submarines “can’t compete with nuclear subs North Korea is building in underwater endurance and speed.”

U.S. officials expect South Korea’s nuclear submarines to play a broader role in the region, extending beyond North Korea. Admiral Daryl Caudle, U.S. Navy chief of operations, said during a November visit to Seoul that the submarines are “expected to meet our combined goals” against what the U.S. considers a key threat, China. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also referenced China during a summit with Trump, noting the limited range of diesel subs restricts tracking capabilities against both North Korean and Chinese vessels.

Retired South Korean Navy captain Yoon Sukjoon said the submarines will likely operate beyond the peninsula. He added that while the peninsula’s shallow waters limit submarine operations, nuclear-powered subs could serve as a strategic deterrent against the Chinese Navy in the Indo-Pacific. However, South Korea has been careful not to suggest confrontation with China, its largest trading partner, emphasizing that remarks about submarine operations were directional rather than targeting specific countries.

Political analysts say South Korea’s nuclear submarine push reflects broader concerns over China’s expanding influence and growing skepticism about U.S. security commitments. A March poll by the Asan Institute found less than half of South Koreans believe the U.S. would respond with nuclear weapons if North Korea attacked with one, while a majority support nuclear armament even at the risk of sanctions or reduced U.S. military presence.

Kim Heungkyu, director of the China Policy Institute at Ajou University, said nuclear-powered submarines could serve as an “entry point toward a much bigger goal” of nuclear deterrence. Although the South Korean government denies ambitions for nuclear weapons, ongoing talks with the U.S. over uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, combined with U.S. pressure, suggest the submarines could be a step in that direction.