December 26, 2025 | 05:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a nuclear-powered submarine construction site and overseen the test launch of a new type of anti-aircraft missile, amid heightened regional tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
During his visit to the submarine facility on Wednesday, Kim criticized South Korea’s efforts to develop nuclear-powered submarines in cooperation with the United States, describing the move as a security threat that must be countered. The remarks were reported by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Undated photos released by North Korean state media on Thursday, December 25, 2025, showed Kim inspecting a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae. In another image, Kim appeared smiling during a briefing while his daughter stood beside him.
Only a small number of countries operate nuclear-powered submarines, and the United States considers the technology among its most closely guarded military secrets.
Last month, in its first public response to the US-South Korea agreement, KCNA published an opinion piece warning that the initiative could trigger a “nuclear domino effect” and escalate regional confrontation.
According to KCNA, Kim said the deteriorating security environment had prompted North Korea to accelerate efforts to strengthen its naval nuclear capabilities, calling it an urgent task and a strategic necessity.
He was also briefed on research into what KCNA described as a “new underwater secret weapon” and outlined plans to reorganize the navy and establish new units, without providing further details.
Separately, Kim oversaw the test launch of a new long-range, high-altitude anti-aircraft missile. State media released images showing the missile being fired toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, although the exact test location was not disclosed.
KCNA reported that the missile successfully struck a simulated target at an altitude of 200 kilometers, which, if confirmed, would place the interception in outer space.
In a separate development on the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent New Year greetings to Kim Jong Un, thanking North Korea for its military support in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
North Korea has reportedly deployed thousands of troops since 2024 to assist Russian forces, including in areas briefly seized by Ukrainian troops during a counteroffensive.
“The heroic participation of the contingent of the Korean People's Army in the liberation of the territory of the Kursk region from invaders, as well as the subsequent work of Korean sappers on Russian soil, became a clear confirmation of the indestructible friendship and military brotherhood between the Russian Federation and the DPRK,” Putin said, according to KCNA, as cited by Al Jazeera.
Putin also praised the progress of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed by Moscow and Pyongyang in 2024, expressing hope for deeper cooperation across political, military, and international affairs.
Ditya Rasyadiputra contributed to the writing of this article.
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