North Korea Warns Submarine Deal Could Trigger ‘Nuclear Domino Phenomenon’
PYONGYANG – North Korea issued a stark warning Thursday, asserting that a recent agreement between South Korea and the United States to collaborate on nuclear submarine technology risks sparking a “nuclear domino phenomenon” in the region. The statement comes amid heightened tensions following recent incursions by North Korean soldiers into South Korean territory and marks the first such warning from Pyongyang in seven years.
The trilateral security dynamic on the Korean Peninsula is facing a critical juncture. South Korea and the U.S. finalized a deal for joint progress and maintenance of nuclear submarine technology, a move intended to bolster deterrence against North Korea’s growing weapons program. This agreement, however, has triggered strong condemnation from Pyongyang, which views it as a hazardous escalation. The two Koreas remain technically at war, having only reached an armistice-not a peace treaty-at the end of their conflict in 1953.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, since assuming office, has signaled a willingness to engage in broader talks with North Korea without preconditions, a significant departure from the more hawkish stance of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. Despite repeated requests from Seoul, North Korea has yet to respond to these overtures.
the U.S.submarine technology involved is considered a closely guarded military secret. China also voiced concerns Thursday, characterizing the partnership as exceeding a standard commercial collaboration and potentially destabilizing the Korean Peninsula and the broader region, and also impacting global non-proliferation efforts.
