North Korea criticizes US over AUKUS nuclear submarine deal
Voice of America
20 Feb 2025, 12:36 GMT+10
North Korean state media on Thursday criticized the United States for a nuclear submarine deal with Australia under the AUKUS partnership signed in 2021, calling it a "threat to regional peace."
A commentary carried by KCNA said Washington should be wary of consequences for what it said were nuclear alliances, naming AUKUS and the trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
Australia just made its first $500 million payment to the U.S. under the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
Under AUKUS, Australia will pay the United States $3 billion to boost the capacity of the U.S. submarine industry, and Washington will sell several Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the early 2030s.
The KCNA commentary also argued the U.S. sees North Korea as an obstacle to its establishment of hegemony in the region and said nuclear states will not sit idly by, referring to itself.
North Korea has been criticizing the trilateral military cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the U.S. and has called the relationship "the Asian version of NATO."
South Korea's defense ministry on Thursday said that a joint air drill was held with the U.S. with at least one B-1B strategic bomber taking part.
The drill was to show extended deterrent capabilities by the United States in response to threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile program, the ministry said in a statement.
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.
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