SEOUL, February 13. /TASS/. South Korea obtaining a nuclear-powered submarine would not contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Ambassador to Seoul Georgy Zinovyev said at a meeting with reporters.
"As regards the situation in Northeast Asia, this step perhaps complies with the rationale of exerting military pressure on Pyongyang," the Russian diplomat said. According to him, "multiple attack means are already being actively demonstrated" around North Korea. Pyongyang views this activity as a threat to its own security, Zinovyev noted. "According to our estimates, this would not contribute to easing tensions or bringing reconciliation to the Korean Peninsula," the ambassador added.
Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the United States on a project to build a nuclear submarine could, under certain circumstances, conflict with the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Zinovyev argued. "As far as we understand, the project of Republic of Korea buying a nuclear-powered submarine has so far only received in-principle approval from the United States. Work on specific parameters, such as the site for building the nuclear submarine or methods of supplying fuel to it, is ongoing," he explained.
