North Korea Warns of 'Countermeasures' as U.S. Nuclear Submarine Docks in South Korea

A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine's port call in South Korea for supplies and rest has ignited a furious response from Pyongyang. North Korea's defense ministry denounced the visit as a "grave security threat," warning of unspecified "countermeasures" and escalating tensions on the already volatile Korean Peninsula.

The USS Greeneville's Arrival and Pyongyang's Rebuke

The USS Greeneville, a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, arrived at a naval base in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday, December 23. According to Seoul's Navy, the visit's purpose was to replenish supplies and provide rest for the crew. However, North Korea framed the move as a major provocation.

In a statement dated December 24 and reported by Yonhap News Agency, the DPRK's defense ministry claimed, "The repeated emergence of the U.S. strategic asset ... constitutes a grave act of causing instability and escalating military tensions." The ministry further warned that the U.S. nuclear threat is pushing Pyongyang toward securing a "strategic retaliatory capability for wiping out such threatening entities."

Context of Deterrence and Alliance

Pyongyang's statement appears to be a direct response to strengthening U.S.-South Korea security ties. It specifically referenced Washington's recent reaffirmation of "extended deterrence" for Seoul and its support for South Korea's plan to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarines. North Korea accused the U.S. of attempting to "cement the structure of a nuclear-to-nuclear collision," vowing to continue its own defense capability development.