North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Friday, according to South Korea’s military, less than a week after United States President Donald Trump approved Seoul’s plan to construct a nuclear-powered submarine.
“North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile towards the East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced, referring to the body of water internationally recognised as the Sea of Japan.
The launch comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following Trump’s declaration that South Korea would build its first nuclear-powered submarine in collaboration with the United States. The development involves one of Washington’s most closely guarded military technologies — nuclear propulsion systems.
Unlike conventional diesel-powered submarines, which must surface frequently to recharge, nuclear-powered vessels can remain submerged for extended periods, dramatically increasing stealth and operational endurance.
Defence analysts say the move represents a major advancement in South Korea’s naval capabilities and its domestic defence industry, placing the country among an exclusive group of nations with nuclear-powered submarines. Currently, only the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, India, and Australia are known to operate or develop such vessels.
South Korea’s presidential office confirmed that Washington’s approval was essential, as the enriched uranium and other nuclear materials required for submarine reactors are strictly controlled under international non-proliferation agreements and reserved for military use.
The missile launch by Pyongyang is widely viewed as a show of defiance. Since the collapse of Kim Jong Un’s 2019 summit with Trump — which failed to reach agreement on denuclearisation measures and sanctions relief — North Korea has repeatedly proclaimed itself an “irreversible nuclear state.”
Friday’s test underscores the growing strategic tension in the region, as Seoul’s pursuit of advanced naval capabilities intersects with Pyongyang’s continued missile and nuclear weapons development.