North and South Korea are entering a race to build nuclear submarines that’s sure to escalate inter-Korean tensions and radiate throughout the region.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has proudly inspected what he says is an 8,700-ton nuclear submarine that appears near completion while South Korea’s defense minister, Ahn Gyu-back,  promises the South  will “swiftly move ahead” on plans to build its own nuclear sub.

Visiting the South’s main submarine base about 200 miles southeast of Seoul on Friday, Mr. Ahn said a South Korean task force would  “complete negotiations” with Washington next year on “the long-sought nuclear-powered  submarine program,” the South’s defense ministry reported.

 Buoying the program, President Trump this week said the South’s Hanwha Group will be a partner in building a new class of frigate. He had already said Washington will share technology assisting South Korea to build  a nuclear submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard acquired last year by Hanwha Ocean, Korea’s second biggest shipbuilder.

Hanwha appears confident that work on the nation’s first nuclear submarine will go ahead at its “Hanwha Philly Shipyard” despite calls in Seoul for the vessel to be built in South Korea.

The shipyard is under the management of a newly formed Hanwha subsidiary, Hanwha Defense USA, led by a retired American rear admiral, Tom Anderson.

Although Hanwha has yet to build a nuclear sub, the parent company quotes Admiral Anderson as saying the company  “has a clear understanding” of how to proceed and he is confident of its ability  to “catch up” on the technology.

Hanwha headquarters in Seoul quoted the president of the newly formed Hanwha Defense USA, Tom Anderson, a retired American rear admiral, as saying Hanwha “has a clear understanding” of how to build South Korea’s  first  nuclear-powered submarine at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Although Hanwha has yet to build a nuclear sub, he was sure of the company’s ability to “catch up” on the technology.