Kim Jong Un shows off North Korea’s first nuclear-powered sub

Cigarette in hand, and with the toothiest of grins, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un posed for photographs at a shipyard next to the makings of a “nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine.” The vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one, with a payload of 10 missiles, in line with plans unveiled at the Hermit Kingdom’s 2021 party congress.

While “it will take more than still images to demonstrate a functioning nuclear-powered submarine,” according to Eurasia Group regional expert Jeremy Chan, “there is little doubt that Pyongyang is making real progress toward developing a weapon that only a handful of countries possess in their arsenals.”

Why tell the world? Like Kim’s visit last year to North Korea’s underground uranium centrifuges, the submarine story, which broke over the weekend, signals Kim’s plans for nuclear expansion. But it could also be a bargaining chip. “Kim could be seeking to extract concessions from Seoul and Washington in renewed negotiations with Trump and/or a progressive government in South Korea that are likely to kick off later in 2025,” says Chan.

Is Kim flaunting his links to Moscow? North Korea’s nuclear sub capabilities could enable Pyongyang to threaten US maritime assets including aircraft carriers – and be a sign that Russia is transferring military technology in return for Kim’s artillery and troop support in Ukraine.