The North Korean government has called a recent visit of the U.S. submarine Michigan to South Korea a "rehearsal" for the further deployment of nuclear submarines around the Korean peninsula.
Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Boyle of Submarine Group Seven said in a statement last week that the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan visited the port of Busan in South Korea on June 16.
"The port visit in Busan reflects the United States' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and compliments the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted by U.S. submarine forces with our [South Korean] allies," Boyle said at the time.
The USS Michigan is one of the U.S. Navy's four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines. It is more than 560 feet long and weighs more than 18,000 tons when submerged, making it one of the largest submarines in the world.
Kang Jin Song, an international affairs analyst in North Korea, issued a statement Saturday blasting the port visit and claiming that "U.S. strategic assets are expanding the scope of their maneuvers in the air and sea and underwater around the Korean peninsula."
Related Story: U.S. to Deploy Nuclear-Armed Submarines to South Korea
