Presidential Office says "Possibility of Exaggeration and Fabrication" in Claims of North Korea's Underwater Nuclear Weapon Test

North Korea Conducts Key Test of Underwater Nuclear Weapon System Developed by Academy of Defense Science
Presidential Office: "Possesses Overwhelming Strike Capability... Strengthening Defense Posture Further"

The Presidential Office stated on the 21st that regarding North Korea's announcement of testing an underwater nuclear weapon system, "Based on the comprehensive analysis so far, there is a strong possibility that North Korea's claim is exaggerated and fabricated."

On the 19th, a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense released a statement through the Korean Central News Agency, announcing that "the Underwater Weapon System Research Institute of the National Defense Science Academy conducted an important test of the underwater nuclear weapon system 'Haeil-5-23' currently under development." The statement also condemned the joint South Korea-US-Japan maritime exercises as "acts that seriously threaten national security."

However, a Presidential Office official said on the same day, "If the test was conducted, it is presumed to be a type of torpedo, and the possibility of it being a nuclear propulsion system is very slim," adding, "There has never been a case of developing a small reactor that could fit inside a torpedo with a diameter of less than 1 meter."

In particular, the official emphasized, "Regardless of the authenticity of North Korea's claim, our military is continuously tracking and monitoring North Korea's development trends of underwater weapon systems such as nuclear torpedoes and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) using the combined South Korea-US intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)." He added, "Our military already possesses overwhelming strike capabilities against the launch bases of such weapon systems in case of emergency, and will further strengthen anti-submarine warfare capabilities and port defense posture."

Furthermore, the official stated, "North Korea claimed to have launched a solid-fuel mid-range ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with a hypersonic missile on January 14," and "Our military has the capability to detect and intercept any missile possessed by North Korea based on combined ISR assets and missile defense systems." He also added, "We will accelerate the establishment of a complex multi-layered defense system to respond to the increasingly advanced North Korean missile capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.