SEOUL, Sept 29 (Reuters) – North Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement published by state media KCNA that the United States’ approval for South Korea’s building its first nuclear submarine is “a dangerous development” that added new instability to the political and military environment of the Asia-Pacific region.
The approval is also another demonstration of US nuclear proliferation through AUKUS pact, the North Korean ministry said, outlining a history of what it described as Washington’s “radical nuclear arms buildup” that resulted in the “collapse of international nuclear order.”
South Korea aims to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s, under a new programme aimed at countering North Korea’s submarine-launched nuclear and missile threats.
The plan for Seoul’s nuclear submarine was agreed upon with Washington under a trade deal struck between the two allies last year.
(Reporting by Heejin Kim)
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