Busan: North Korea on Thursday condemned the recent arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea, asserting that it poses a significant security threat to the Korean Peninsula. The North's defense ministry expressed its concerns in a statement dated the previous day, following the USS Greeneville's entry into a naval base in Busan, approximately 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday for resupply and crew rest.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the port call was intended to replenish supplies and offer rest for the submarine's crew members, as noted by South Korea's Navy. However, the North Korean defense ministry criticized the move, claiming it adds a permanent element of nuclear instability to the security environment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The ministry further stated that the repeated appearance of U.S. strategic assets in the region exacerbates instability and heightens military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The statement also mentioned Washington's recent reaffirmation of "extended deterrence" for Seoul and its support for South Korea's plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, accusing the U.S. of approaching a critical level in its quest for strategic dominance in the region.

North Korea accused the U.S. of transforming its military alliance with Seoul into a nuclear confrontation bloc sharing its nuclear weapons, which it believes confirms the U.S.'s confrontational intention to establish a nuclear-to-nuclear collision structure with the DPRK. In response, the North Korean regime remains committed to advancing its defense capabilities to protect itself.

The defense ministry emphasized that the persistent U.S. nuclear threat near its borders is motivating North Korea to expedite the development of strategic retaliatory capabilities to eliminate such threats within its maritime sovereignty. The ministry warned of corresponding countermeasures to the U.S.'s display of nuclear strength.