Weapons can help North Korea increase its nuclear deterrent 2
North Korean state news agency KCNA said on May 24 that leader Kim Jong-un chaired a meeting of the Central Military Commission to discuss new policies to `further strengthen the ability to deter nuclear war.`
This announcement is reminiscent of North Korea’s warning at the end of 2019, in which Kim Jong-un announced that he would show the world `a new strategic weapon` and could make `a sudden move that will make America pay the price.`
Kim Jong-un (gray shirt) inspected the ballistic missile submarine building site on July 22, 2019.
However, South Korean military experts believe that the most reasonable step for North Korea at this time to improve nuclear deterrence capacity is to launch a new generation submarine or introduce a SLBM version based on the Pukguksong series,
South Korean intelligence has been closely monitoring Pyongyang’s new generation submarine project since it was revealed by North Korean state media during Kim Jong-un’s visit to the Sinpo shipyard in July 2019
Western experts believe that this is a deeply improved version of the Project 633 diesel-electric submarine built by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, not a successor version of the Project 633 diesel-electric submarine.
The image of the submarine during Kim Jong-un’s visit blurred the area behind the command post, suggesting that this may be the place to place vertical launch tubes for SLBMs.
North Korea currently operates 70 submarines of all types, including 20 Project 633s with a displacement of 1,800 tons.
`Converting Project 633 attack submarines into SLBM-carrying submarines is a cost-saving solution, minimizing risks while still ensuring enhanced attack capabilities. Even an outdated diesel-electric submarine
North Korea may also continue to launch Pukguksong-3 missiles, following the first test in October 2019 off the country’s east coast.
North Korea’s Pukguksong-3 missile test-fired on October 2, 2019.
SLBMs are less accurate and powerful than ICBMs, but submarines carrying ballistic missiles can hide under the sea for a long time to strike back in case North Korea is attacked first.
`It will pose a threat not only to regional security but also on a global scale, because SLBMs are very difficult to detect. Most likely it is designed to fire from a storage tube and a single launcher.`
Kim Jong-un appointed Ri Pyong-chol, the official in charge of missile and nuclear weapons programs, to the position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and promoted General Pak Jong-chon, General Pak Jong-chon, to the military rank.
However, some analysts believe that Kim Jong-un’s statement `increasing nuclear deterrence capacity` is just a `blow` to increase pressure and urge the US to take more certain steps in negotiations.
`Pyongyang has deployed or is about to deploy short-range ballistic missiles launched last year. It will use them as leverage in negotiations, instead of crossing the red line with long-range weapons capable of
