N. Korea slams US over S. Korea, Japan's nuclear submarine push

North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of instigating South Korea and Japan to push for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, using the criticism to justify its own nuclear buildup. The North made the criticism after a U.S. Navy official assessed Seoul and Tokyo's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines in a meeting with reporters in Hawaii on Thursday. The official said Seoul needs a clear operational rationale for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, rather than treating them as a "status symbol," while voicing a more favorable view of Tokyo's push to acquire them. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean analyst on international affairs claimed discussions were "intended to instigate" both countries "to possess nuclear submarines," and accused Washington of serving as "the major chieftain of the worldwide nuclear proliferation." The analyst also claimed Washington was using AUKUS, a security partnership comprising the U.S., Britain and Australia, to extend nuclear submarine technology to its allies, like South Korea and Japan. "The real