North Korea on Wednesday condemned South Korea’s plans to develop its first nuclear-powered submarine, warning that the project could set off “nuclear dominoes” in the Asia-Pacific and further destabilize the Korean Peninsula.

In a statement released through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Jang Kum Chol said Seoul’s submarine ambitions represent a “new” threat to regional security after being implemented.

The statement comes as South Korea accelerates preparations for its “Jangbogo N” submarine program, which seeks to develop and introduce indigenous nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s.

South Korea has said the