North Korea Displays Apparent Progress in Construction of Nuclear-Powered Submarine
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
Kim visited a shipyard to inspect the construction of what the North describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Mainstream coverage tends to treat North Korea’s latest shipyard photo-op as a technical curiosity, with a faint suggestion that it may be bluff. That framing misses the point: Kim Jong Un is signaling intent, not seeking peer review.
Whether the hull is fully nuclear-powered today is almost beside the question. The regime is steadily building tools to threaten U.S. forces and allies from farther out and for longer periods, and it uses ambiguity to erode deterrence. A submarine is also a propaganda weapon, aimed at convincing its own elites that sanctions and isolation are manageable.
The conservative concern is national security, paired with credible deterrence and public trust that Washington sees reality clearly. The right response starts with enforcing sanctions, tightening interdiction, and demanding accountability from China. The principle at stake is simple: threats don’t become serious only after they’re complete.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.