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North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Submarine, South Says North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Submarine, South Says
(about 13 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired what was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast on Saturday, according to the South Korean military, which did not say whether the apparent test launch had been a success. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired what was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast on Saturday, according to the South Korean military.
The test took place at 6:30 p.m. in waters northeast of the port city of Sinpo, South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. North Korea’s naval base at Sinpo is a center for the isolated country’s efforts to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which would add to the range, secrecy and flexibility of its missile systems. The missile flew only 19 miles, a flight too short to be called a successful launch, South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Still, the test provided the latest evidence that North Korea was building a submarine-launched ballistic missile in defiance of a United Nations ban on the country for developing such weapons.
In May, North Korea said it had successfully tested such a missile, releasing photos that appeared to show Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, watching a missile soar out of the water. But some experts questioned the claim, saying the photos appeared to have been manipulated. The United States’ North American Aerospace Defense Command also confirmed the North Korean missile launch from a submarine, saying it did not pose a threat to North America.
South Korean defense officials said at the time that the test in May had merely been a successful ejection of an submarine-launched ballistic missile, not a full-fledged missile test. The missile flew just under 500 feet before falling into the sea, they said. On Sunday, North Korea claimed that it had successfully conducted the missile test. The country’s official news agency said the test was to confirm the stability of a solid-fuel ballistic missile launched from a submarine and “the working accuracy of a nuclear detonating device of a warhead” at a designated altitude.
In November, the South’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in Seoul that North Korea had conducted a test of such a missile that ended in failure. North Korea “is now capable of hitting the heads of South Korean puppet forces and the U.S. imperialists anytime as it pleases, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, was quoted as saying while watching the launch, according to the state news agency.
Pyongyang is believed to be developing mobile missile systems with the goal of a harder-to-detect delivery system for nuclear warheads. South Korean officials have said the North is probably years away from fielding a missile-armed submarine. The test took place at 6:30 p.m. in waters northeast of the port city of Sinpo, South Korea’s statement said. North Korea’s naval base at Sinpo is a center for the isolated country’s efforts to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which would add to the range, secrecy and flexibility of its missile systems.
In January, North Korea released video indicating that it was capable of launching a submarine-launched ballistic missile, but outside experts again questioned the claim and said the footage seemed to have been doctored. In November, the South’s intelligence service said that North Korea had conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile that ended in failure. On Saturday, the South Korean military said that North Korea tried the same test in December but again failed.
On April 15, the North carried out what American and South Korean officials said was a failed launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Musudan. The missile exploded shortly after it was launched, they said. On April 15, the North carried out what American and South Korean officials said was a failed launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Musudan.