North Korea’s Sneaky Nuclear Submarine Project Revealed: A Cause for Concern?

Last September, a submarine was revealed
North Korea claims it’s a nuclear submarine
Experts express concerns over the technology

Reports have emerged confirming that North Korea is constructing an additional submarine of similar scale to the Hero Kim Kun Ok, which was announced in September 2023 as their first tactical nuclear attack submarine. The Hero Kim Kun Ok had drawn attention when North Korea claimed it could launch nuclear weapons. Though experts pointed out its somewhat crude weapon manufacturing method, they emphasized that North Korea had advanced to the point of being able to launch nuclear weapons.

Ken Gause,  director of the Adversary Analytics Program, said, “While the Hero Kim Kun Ok hasn’t been fully verified, it can’t be ignored as it implies that North Korea has secured its first submarine capable of launching nuclear weapons.”

On the 8th, the U.S. North Korea specialist site 38 North announced these findings after analyzing commercial satellite photos of a shipyard in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province in North Korea. 38 North explained that they had detected signs of new submarine construction at the shipyard over several months from the end of 2023 to recently, as parts corresponding to submarine hulls and various construction equipment began to appear.

It was reported that a jig (submarine construction equipment) first appeared in photos taken at the end of last year, and by mid-February of this year, two additional jigs had arrived.

At the end of March, satellite photos revealed three submarine hull parts, each measuring 5.6m (18.37 feet), 6.4m (20.99 feet), and 7m (22.97 feet) in diameter. These parts, used for the submarine’s horizontal frame, become the hull after undergoing a welding process.

The media claimed that the size of the parts captured by the satellite suggests that North Korea is developing a submarine of the same class as the Sinpo-C class ballistic missile submarine, the Hero Kim Gun Ok, which they revealed in September last year.

The media explained, “The measurements of all three hull sections fit within the diameter of the Sinpo-C class SSB, which is 8.1 meters (26.57 feet).” This strongly suggests North Korea is developing another vessel of the same class.

The changes in the location of the equipment and parts revealed in the satellite photos suggest that submarine construction activities are underway.

In the photos released at the end of March, all three parts were located outdoors, with the two smaller ones being supported by jigs and the largest one placed on a mobile platform with rails.

38 North analyzed that two traveling gantry cranes were positioned above the largest part, suggesting they were ready to move the part to the construction site.

In fact, in the photo taken on April 27th, the location of the most significant hull part had changed to the construction site, and the giant crane had moved to another part.

38 North said that “the purpose of this activity is unclear, though it could be to fit electronics or other equipment in the sail or to prepare the vessel for eventual sea trials.”

When North Korea’s first nuclear submarine was revealed in September last year, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff analyzed it: “It appears they’ve increased the size of the bridge and some exterior dimensions to accommodate missiles.” They pointed out, “However, it doesn’t seem to be able to move normally.”