North Korea’s Kim slams US-Seoul nuclear submarine deal as ‘offensive act’

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Erin HaleDecember 25, 2025 at 03:40 AM

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On December 25, 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticized a new nuclear submarine deal between the United States and South Korea, calling it an "offensive act" and a threat to regional stability. Kim made the remarks while inspecting a North Korean submarine production facility where an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine is under construction. He stated that North Korea must accelerate its naval modernization and nuclear weaponization in response. Simultaneously, Kim oversaw the test firing of a new long-range anti-air missile into the Sea of Japan, which KCNA reported as successful. These developments occurred as South Korea announced it was pursuing a "standalone deal" with the US to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kim Jong Un ×4100% United States ×2100% South Korea ×2100% North Korea ×3100%

Keywords

nuclear submarine deal 100% north korea 90% kim jong un 80% us-seoul 70% maritime sovereignty 60% nuclear weaponisation 60% anti-air missile 50% korean peninsula 50% missile test 50% submarine production 40%