N. Korea slams US over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push

North Korea on Wednesday criticized the United States over South Korea and Japan’s push for nuclear-powered submarines. A KCNA commentary said Washington was trying to instigate both countries and called the U.S. the major chieftain of worldwide nuclear proliferation. It also linked the issue to AUKUS and said North Korea must strengthen its nuclear deterrent without delay.

A U.S. Navy official in Hawaii on Thursday said Seoul needs a clear operational rationale for nuclear-powered submarines rather than treating them as a status symbol, while taking a more favorable view of Tokyo’s push.

The North Korean commentary said discussions were intended to instigate South Korea and Japan to possess nuclear submarines.

The commentary described AUKUS as a security partnership involving the United States, Britain and Australia, and said it had enabled Australia to obtain nuclear-powered submarines using U.S. propulsion technology.

North Korea said the push by Seoul and Tokyo for nuclear-powered submarines was reckless and a threat to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The analyst argued that North Korea must bolster its nuclear war deterrent means both in quality and quantity without the slightest stagnation and stalemate.

Published Sep 16, 2026 10:53 am KST

The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Sringfield arrives at a naval base in Busan, Feb. 26, 2023. Courtesy of United States Pacific Fleet

North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of instigating South Korea and Japan to push for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, using the criticism to justify its own nuclear buildup.

The North made the criticism after a U.S. Navy official assessed Seoul and Tokyo's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines in a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday.

The official said Seoul needs a clear operational rationale for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, rather than treating them as a "status symbol," while voicing a more favorable view of Tokyo's push to acquire them.

In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs claimed discussions were "intended to instigate" both countries "to possess nuclear submarines," and accused Washington of serving as "the major chieftain of the worldwide nuclear proliferation."

The analyst also claimed Washington was using AUKUS, a security partnership comprising the U.S., Britain and Australia, to extend nuclear submarine technology to its allies, like South Korea and Japan.

"The reality goes to prove that Washington's plan for 'AUKUS 2.0,' which allows the transfer of nuclear technology for munitions to non-nuclear allies, has entered the phase of full-scale expansion," he wrote.

AUKUS, announced in 2021 and signed in 2024, has paved the way for Australia to have its own nuclear-powered submarines using U.S. propulsion technology, enabled by a U.S. exemption allowing the transfer of sensitive nuclear material. The pact is often seen as a possible benchmark for Seoul's future agreement with Washington.

North Korea also called the push by Seoul and Tokyo for nuclear-powered submarines "reckless acts" that "show what dangerous extent the U.S. military adventurism to contain its rival states in the Asia-Pacific region by setting up its allies as shock brigades has reached."

Calling this a threat to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, he argued North Korea must "bolster up its nuclear war deterrent means both in quality and quantity without the slightest stagnation and stalemate."

朝鲜周三批评美国推动韩国和日本发展核动力潜艇。朝中社评论称，华盛顿试图挑拨两国关系，并称美国是全球核扩散的主要推手。评论还将此事与“奥库斯”核潜艇项目联系起来，并表示朝鲜必须立即加强核威慑力量。

夏威夷的一位美国海军官员周四表示，首尔需要为核动力潜艇提供明确的作战理由，而不是将其视为身份象征，同时他对东京的推进持更为积极的态度。

朝鲜方面表示，这些讨论旨在促使韩国和日本拥有核潜艇。

评论将 AUKUS 描述为美国、英国和澳大利亚之间的安全伙伴关系，并表示该伙伴关系使澳大利亚能够获得使用美国推进技术的核动力潜艇。

朝鲜表示，首尔和东京推进核动力潜艇建设是鲁莽的，是对全球核不扩散机制的威胁。

分析人士认为，朝鲜必须在质量和数量上加强其核战争威慑手段，绝不能出现丝毫停滞和僵局。

发布于2026年9月16日上午10:53（韩国标准时间）

2023年2月26日，美国核动力潜艇“斯林菲尔德”号抵达釜山海军基地。图片由美国太平洋舰队提供。

朝鲜周三指责美国唆使韩国和日本推动获取核动力潜艇，并以此批评美国，为其自身的核武库建设辩护。

此前，一名美国海军官员周四在夏威夷与记者会面，评估了首尔和东京对核动力潜艇的追求。随后，朝鲜提出了批评。

这位官员表示，首尔需要有明确的核动力潜艇作战理由，而不是将其视为“身份象征”，同时他对东京推动获取核动力潜艇的努力表示了更为积极的看法。

朝鲜中央通讯社（朝中社）刊登的一篇评论文章中，一位朝鲜国际事务分析人士声称，这些讨论“旨在煽动”两国“拥有核潜艇”，并指责华盛顿是“全球核扩散的主要幕后黑手”。

该分析人士还声称，华盛顿正在利用由美国、英国和澳大利亚组成的安全伙伴关系“奥库斯”（AUKUS）向其盟友（如韩国和日本）推广核潜艇技术。

他写道：“现实证明，华盛顿的‘AUKUS 2.0’计划，即向无核盟友转让用于制造弹药的核技术，已经进入全面扩张阶段。”

《奥库斯协议》（AUKUS）于2021年宣布，并于2024年签署，该协议为澳大利亚拥有采用美国推进技术的核动力潜艇铺平了道路。美国给予澳大利亚一项豁免，允许其转移敏感核材料，从而使该协议得以实施。该协议通常被视为首尔未来与华盛顿达成协议的潜在基准。

朝鲜还称首尔和东京推动建造核动力潜艇是“鲁莽的行为”，这“表明美国为了遏制其在亚太地区的竞争对手，将盟友打造为突击队，其军事冒险主义已经达到了多么危险的程度”。

他称这是对全球核不扩散机制的威胁，并指出朝鲜必须“在质量和数量上加强其核战争威慑手段，不得出现丝毫停滞和僵局”。