North Korea singled out the council’s condemnation of the latest submarine launch of a ballistic missile on August 24, days after the United States and South Korea began their annual military exercises.
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The situation is particularly tense in the aftermath of the announcement of the deployment of the THAAD component of the USA missile defense system in South Korea – which both China and Russian Federation see as aimed at them – and the U.S. facing off China in the South China Sea.
In a statement, they said: “South Korea’s military should move to deal effectively with North Korea’s SLBM threat by deploying submarines with nuclear propulsion that can better detect and attack North Korean vessels”. “It is hard to give out a definite answer for now, as we have to make a close examination and review (the issues)”.
“Regarding nuclear-powered submarines, it is not appropriate to comment on the matter at this place and at this moment”.
“The media’s broad interpretation caused the incident”, spokesperson Moon said.
USA nuclear submarines also routinely operate in global waters in the region on what the Navy describes as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
“[I urge] South Korean military to actively consider deployment of nuclear powered submarine which has a capacity to operate underwater for an extended period of time, a high-tech sonar system, and striking power”, he said.
Japan’s government is facing an equally fraught decision as a background to its reaction to North Korea’s latest provocation.
He added that development of such submarines would be a “technical achievement (that) would be a way to one-up or match North Korea’s efforts to develop SLBMs and missile-launching submarines”.
“The actual capability would enhance the credibility of South Korea’s navy as a counter North Korea’s submarine fleet”, he said.
“We would need a uranium enrichment facility or plutonium reprocessing plant to produce the fuels for the nuclear-powered submarines”, Eom Sang-yoon, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute told NK News.
North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons development programs have brought heavy worldwide sanctions down on its head, but Pyongyang says they are justified because of the threat posed by the United States and South Korea.
In Seoul’s National Assembly, some lawmakers have raised concern that the North’s new submarine missile capability, which could strike from anywhere along the coast, could make the U.S. THAAD missile defense system that is aimed northwards ineffective.
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Eom added that a third option, of purchasing already processed nuclear material from the third party – most likely the USA or France – would not be an easy method for Seoul either. “The government will send out to the North Korean people messages of hope for freedom and [human] dignity”, said the South Korean leader.
