North Korea to Conduct Submarine Joint Exercises with China and Russia?

Registration of 13 Submarines Including Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship to International Organization

North Korea has simultaneously registered 13 submarines, including the Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship, with the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This is analyzed as a preliminary move to deploy them for joint exercises with countries such as China or Russia.

Romeo-class submarine of North Korea (Photo by Yonhap News)

On the 28th, the Voice of America (VOA) reported that 11 Shark-class submarines numbered 1 to 11, the Sinpo-class '8·24 Hero Ship,' and the Sinpo C-class Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship (No. 841) were registered on the 27th (U.S. time) in the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS). The owner was registered as the "Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

Accordingly, each submarine was assigned a unique IMO identification number. For example, the Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship was built in September 2023, and its IMO unique number is "4776425." North Korea held a launching ceremony for the "tactical nuclear attack submarine" Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship last September. Our military suspects that the Kim Gun-ok Hero Ship is a modified version of the existing Romeo-class submarine. The IMO assigns unique serial numbers to all vessels engaged in international navigation to ensure maritime safety, prevent pollution, and eradicate maritime fraud. Warships are no exception, and North Korea has previously registered general warships with the IMO.

However, this is the first time submarines have been registered, so our military authorities are closely monitoring the background. In particular, there is analysis both inside and outside the military that this may be a preliminary step to deploy them for joint exercises with China or Russia.

VOA also introduced an expert's speculation that North Korea may have registered the submarines with the IMO with overseas operations in mind, such as joint exercises in the waters of China or Russia.

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