North Korea today said that the United States’ approval of South Korea’s push to build nuclear-powered submarines will lead to a nuclear domino phenomenon in the region. Pyongyang state media said North Korea denounced the joint fact sheet between South Korea and the US on trade and security agreements that was released last week. The fact sheet covered the outcomes of two summits between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC, in August and in Gyeongju last month, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The allies also on the same day issued a joint communique following their annual defence talks held in early November. North Korea said, South Korea’s possession of a nuclear submarine is a strategic move for its own nuclear weaponisation, and this is bound to cause a ‘nuclear domino phenomenon’ in the region and spark a hot arms race. North Korea further denounced US support for South Korea’s move to secure uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities.