▲ This photo, provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 8, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from L) attending a ceremony on Sept. 6 to launch a newly built "tactical nuclear attack submarine." (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

unification ministry-NK submarine

S. Korea deplores N. Korea's launch of nuclear attack submarine

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Friday condemned North Korea's launch of a "tactical nuclear attack submarine," saying the North's "futile" attempt to build weapons would only undermine the country's livelihood affairs.

The ministry's response came shortly after North Korea's state media reported that the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, attended a launching ceremony for the new submarine capable of carrying out an underwater nuclear attack.

"It is deplorable that North Korea is adhering to a futile development of weapons and squandering its lacking resources while not paying attention to difficult livelihood affairs," Kim In-ae, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a press briefing.

Kim emphasized that the North's weapons development and threats are "meaningless," and will only weaken its security, amid a robust combined defense posture between South Korea and the United States, and the overwhelming capacity to respond by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

The North's announcement of the new submarine came as the recalcitrant regime is set to hold a paramilitary parade marking the 75th anniversary of regime establishment, which falls on Saturday.

The parade, which the North has often used to bolster internal unity, would be its third military parade this year, which is "very unusual," according to the ministry official.

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