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| ▲ This file photo, provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 8, 2023, shows the North's newly built "tactical nuclear attack submarine" being launched on Sept. 6, during a ceremony attended by the North's leader Kim Jong-un. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
submarine-NK threats
Retired vice admiral calls for acquiring nuclear-powered submarine amid N.K. threats
SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- The chief of a group of retired naval submarine crewmembers called Thursday for South Korea to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine to respond to North Korea's new "tactical nuclear attack submarine."
Ret. Vice Adm. Lee Hong-hee, head of the Korea Submarine League, made the remarks at a seminar in western Seoul as he noted the threats posed by the North's Hero Kim Kun Ok submarine unveiled in a launching ceremony early last month.
"It is a great threat if it is able to leave port and launch missiles under water," he said. "The most effective response method is for our submarine to hide outside the enemy's port, and track the enemy and destroy it in a contingency."
"In order to continue underwater surveillance and tracking operations, we desperately need a submarine equipped with infinite energy," he said.
An official at the Korea Submarine League explained that Lee was referring to nuclear-powered submarines, which do not require regular refueling as diesel-powered submarines currently operated by South Korea do.
Initial photos released by the North's state media suggest the new submarine is able to fire submarine-launched ballistic missiles, although the South's military has raised questions over its capabilities.
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