Kim Jong Un Inspects 8,700-ton Nuclear Sub as Putin Touts 'Invincible' Bond

While a message from Moscow praised an 'invincible friendship,' new images from Pyongyang showcased a far more menacing ambition: a nuclear-powered submarine. North Korean state media reported on Thursday that leader Kim Jong Un visited a nuclear submarine factory and received a message from Russia'sVladimir Putin hailing the deepening ties between the two nations.

Putin's Praise and Pyongyang's Price

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Putin's message, received last week, said the 'heroic' efforts of North Korean soldiers in Russia'sKursk region 'clearly proved the invincible friendship' between the countries. He added that their work demonstrated a 'militant fraternity.' Putin also wrote that the 'historic treaty' the two leaders signed last year, which includes a mutual defense clause, had been fulfilled 'thanks to our joint efforts.'

South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have estimated that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, along with artillery shells and missiles. According to South Korean estimates, around 2,000 troops have been killed and thousands more wounded. North Korea acknowledged this month that its troops were assigned to clear mines and that some had died on deployment.

The Submarine Counter-Play

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On the same day Putin's letter was publicized, KCNA detailed Kim's recent, undated visit to the submarine manufacturing base. There, he vowed to counter the 'threat' of South Korea producing its own such vessels. U.S. President Donald Trump has given the green light for South Korea to build 'nuclear-powered attack submarines,' though key details remain uncertain.

Photos showed Kim alongside his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, walking next to a purportedly 8,700-ton submarine. Kim stated that Seoul's development of nuclear subs would be viewed as 'an offensive act,' making it 'indispensable' to 'accelerate the radical development of the modernization and nuclear weaponization of the naval force.'

A Missile Reaching for Space

Separately, Kim reportedly oversaw the test launch on Wednesday of 'new-type high-altitude long-range anti-air missiles' over the East Sea. KCNA claimed the projectiles hit mock targets at an altitude of 200 kilometers—a height that, if correct, would be in space. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said they were aware of the preparations and that "South Korean and US intelligence authorities are currently closely analyzing the specifications."