North Korea Decries U.S. Plans to Deploy Nuclear Submarine , Cites Risk of Atomic Conflict

North Korea has vehemently protested a U.S. proposal to deploy a nuclear missile submarine close to the Korean peninsula. The North Korean defense ministry spokesperson stated on Monday that this move could lead to a devastating nuclear conflict, marking the first introduction of U.S. strategic nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula since 1981. The statement, distributed by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), warned of an increased regional military tension and a possible escalation to a nuclear crisis.

According to KCNA, the U.S. plan is a clear instance of nuclear blackmail against North Korea and surrounding countries, posing a significant threat to peace. It cautioned that any unexpected situation arising from this move would be the full responsibility of the U.S.

During an April summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, agreed that a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine would visit South Korea. The timetable for this visit, intended to fortify the deployment of U.S. strategic assets against North Korea's accelerating nuclear and ballistic missiles program, has not yet been confirmed.

The decision follows the arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine at the port of Busan in South Korea last month and a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber participating in air military drills with South Korea in June. These actions were viewed as a show of force in response to North Korea's unsuccessful attempt to launch a spy satellite.

Pyongyang has argued that the U.S.'s decision to sail nuclear submarines has created a perilous situation that necessitates preparing for a worst-case scenario of nuclear confrontation. It also alleged recent airspace violations by U.S. reconnaissance planes near its east coast, cautioning that there are no assurances that a U.S. air force strategic reconnaissance plane would not be shot down over the East Sea.

The North Korean statement comes as Yoon Suk-yeol prepares to participate in the annual NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Yoon intends to highlight the importance of international collaboration against North Korea's illegal activities during the summit and will also unveil a new NATO-South Korean document to institutionalize cooperation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity.

Yoon's discussions at the NATO summit may provoke backlash from Pyongyang, which has decried increased cooperation between NATO and U.S. allies in Asia as an attempt to establish an "Asian version of NATO" that would escalate regional tensions. Despite these potential challenges, Yoon emphasized that peace backed by powerful force and deterrence is the most certain and reliable, and he remains open to dialogue with North Korea.