Kim Jong-un inspects North Korea's nuclear submarine project Vows Unrestricted Maritime Defence / Photo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a nuclear-powered submarine construction site.

During the visit, Kim emphasised that North Korea’s maritime defence will be exercised without restriction, suggesting that the country's capabilities could be deployed in any waters deemed necessary, including foreign territorial waters, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“The nation’s maritime defense capabilities will be fully exercised in any waters deemed necessary, without limitations,” Kim said.

The KCNA report stated that Kim provided on-site guidance at an important shipyard but did not disclose the specific location or timing of his visit. The report also mentioned that Kim reviewed progress on the construction of a nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine, a project aligned with goals set at a previous Party Congress. Photos released by the KCNA showed Kim inspecting both surface vessel and submarine construction sites.

Kim instructed that these "incomparably revolutionary vessels must fulfil their mission as a nuclear power’s formidable deterrent that will overpower the hostile forces’ entrenched ‘gunboat diplomacy’." He specifically targeted South Korea and the United States, labelling them “enemies” that pose a serious threat to North Korea’s sovereignty through the frequent deployment of strategic military assets.

“The nation’s maritime defense capabilities will be fully exercised in any waters deemed necessary, without limitations,” Kim reiterated. He vowed that North Korea would never tolerate the maritime and underwater military activities of what he called “hostile forces.”

Kim also stressed the importance of naval innovation, adding, “Through significant innovation and transformation in naval power, and with increasingly superior strength, we will firmly safeguard maritime sovereignty and ensure security for the Korean Peninsula and the region.”

The development of nuclear submarines and underwater-launched nuclear weapons had been outlined as key objectives in North Korea’s five-year defence plan, announced during the eighth Party Congress in January 2021.

By Aghakazim Guliyev