North Korea Says It’s Building a Nuclear-Powered Submarine
New York TimesMAR 12
North Korea Unveils First Nuclear-Powered Submarine
Above: Kim Jong Un at a strategic missile base at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Image copyright: Kim Jae-Hwan/Contributor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-North Korea narrative
Maritime sovereignty represents the core of national rights for North Korea: a country bordered by seas on both sides. Developing an elite nuclear-armed naval force is essential for defending national sovereignty and ensuring economic development through secure fishing waters.
Anti-North Korea narrative
The development of a nuclear-powered submarine by North Korea poses an unprecedented security threat to regional stability as well as US and South Korean interests, as such vessels can remain submerged for extended periods and launch missiles from undetectable positions.