The timing could not have been worse. Just one day after South Korea extended a rare offer for military talks, North Korea lashed out at a new submarine deal between Seoul and Washington. On Tuesday, Pyongyang warned that the agreement would trigger a “nuclear domino” effect, describing it as a “dangerous attempt at confrontation.”
The deal was finalized last week by President Lee Jae Myung. It allows South Korea to expand its authority over uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing, paving the way for nuclear-powered submarines. North Korea’s state media predicted the move would spark a “hot arms race,” overshadowing the peace initiative.
The proposal for military talks was the first in seven years and represented a major policy shift by President Lee. He has sought to engage the North without preconditions, moving away from the hardline stance of his predecessor. However, the announcement of the submarine deal appears to have sabotaged the goodwill of the offer.
The “nuclear domino” rhetoric suggests that the North views the submarine program as a strategic game-changer. North Korea is arguing that the South’s actions will destabilize the region, making talks less likely to succeed. This narrative frames the South as the aggressor, despite the peace offer.
North Korea has not yet responded to the proposal for talks. The focus on the submarine deal suggests that the timing trap has sprung, leaving the two Koreas locked in a cycle of recrimination. The region waits to see if the damage can be undone.