North Korea says it has launched a new nuclear attack submarine to counter US naval power

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it has launched a purported nuclear attack submarine it has been developing for years, a step leader Kim Jong Un described as crucial in his efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to counter the United States and its Asian allies. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the vessel – named “Hero Kim Kun Ok” – is designed to launch tactical nuclear weapons from underwater but did not specify the number of missiles it could carry and fire. Kim expressed satisfaction that the country has acquired its own nuclear attack submarine. In July, the U.S. docked a nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine in South Korea for the first time since the 1980s.