Seoul: North Korean state-run media has condemned a recent agreement between the United States and South Korea, which permits Seoul to develop its first fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines. The media described the agreement as a "declaration of confrontation."

According to Anadolu Agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that the US, by allowing South Korea to possess nuclear submarines and enabling uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, is contributing to a global nuclear arms race. The state media asserted that these actions allow North Korea to elevate its status to a "quasi-nuclear power," revealing what it perceives as the US's confrontational tactics.

The KCNA report highlighted that a joint fact sheet released by the White House after a meeting in South Korea between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed a policy of hostility towards North Korea. The fact sheet emphasized the leaders' commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The state media further criticized the shift in rhetoric from the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" to the "complete denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)," interpreting it as an indication of open confrontation against North Korea by the US and South Korean administrations.

In response to North Korea's reaction, South Korea's presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated that Seoul harbors no "hostile" intentions toward Pyongyang. Yonhap News Agency reported Kang's commitment to easing inter-Korean tensions and rebuilding trust.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized the importance of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, describing it as an imperative that must not be abandoned. He stressed that preventing war and ensuring the peninsula does not become a flashpoint for conflict is Korea's top security priority.

During his visit to South Korea, President Trump announced that his administration would share nuclear propulsion technologies with South Korea, facilitating the construction of at least one nuclear-powered submarine for its navy.