DPRK unveils 1st tactical nuclear attack submarine

SEOUL — The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has launched its first tactical nuclear attack submarine ahead of the country's 75th founding anniversary, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday.

Under the order of the Central Military Commission of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, or WPK, the No 841 submarine, the first of its kind, was transferred to a submarine squadron affiliated with the East Sea Fleet of the Korean People's Army Navy and was named Hero Kim Kun Ok, the report said.

Kim Kun-ok was a highly respected hero commanding officer of the first generation of the country's naval force, it said.

The newly built submarine would perform its combat mission as "one of the core underwater offensive means" of the DPRK naval force, said Kim Jong-un, the WPK's general secretary and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, at the launch ceremony held on Wednesday.

Kim said arming the navy with nuclear weapons was an urgent task and promised more underwater and surface vessels equipped with tactical nuclear weapons for the naval forces, the KCNA report said.

The country plans to turn other existing submarines into nuclear armed vessels, and accelerate its push to eventually build nuclear-powered submarines, Kim said.

A day after the launch, the DPRK's top leader boarded the submarine and learned about its weapon system and underwater operation capability during an inspection, the KCNA said.

Kim asked to speed up the transfer of surface and underwater vessels equipped with tactical nuclear weapons to the navy, it added.

In July, the United States docked a nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine in the Republic of Korea for the first time since the 1980s.

Based on photos by the DPRK's state media, the submarine appears to have at least 10 launch tubes — four of them apparently larger than the other six — that are possibly designed for missiles, The Associated Press reported.

The designation as a "tactical" submarine suggests it does not carry submarine-launched ballistic missiles that can reach the US mainland, but rather smaller, short-range SLBMs capable of striking regional targets, retired ROK submarine captain Choi Il was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Xinhua - Agencies