North Korea’s Kim Watches Long-Range Missile Test and Nuclear Submarine Progress: State Media

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday watched a long-range surface-to-air missile test, according to state media, as the nation continues to update its defense systems.

The test, which took place near the east coast, assessed a new high-altitude missile, which successfully destroyed aerial targets from a distance of 124 miles, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In state media photos, Kim is also seen viewing construction at a site building an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine with the capacity to fire surface-to-air missiles. KCNA did not reveal the visit’s location or when it happened.

The submarine project is part of the ruling party’s push to modernize the navy, one of five central defense policies. Kim has been quoted as declaring that the all-out development of nuclear capabilities and modernization of the Navy is needed because “the present world is by no means peaceful.”

Some experts have said that North Korea’s submarine program poses greater threats than is generally understood.

Kim also stated that his program is a response to South Korea’s plan for developing a nuclear submarine in an agreement with Washington.

In another statement, North Korean state media criticized the recent entry of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine into a South Korean port, calling it “an act of escalating military tensions” in the region.

The USS Greeneville, a nuclear-powered submarine, arrived at Busan port on Tuesday for crew rest and resupply, according to the South Korean Navy.

In January 2024, North Korea claimed to have conducted a test of a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone–calling it a response to naval drills by South Korea and its allies. The device was portrayed as being capable of destroying ships and ports.

In June 2023, the United States docked the nuclear-powered USS Michigan in South Korea following North Korean ballistic missile launches into Japan’s exclusive economic zone–the first such deployment there in six years.

In March 2023, North Korea tested two strategic cruise missiles, which were likely nuclear-capable, from a submarine and successfully hit an underwater target. In October 2021, North Korea confirmed launching a “new type” of ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast into the Sea of Japan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.