Allegedly short range: North Korea confirms test of submarine missile

Probably short range
North Korea confirms submarine missile test

North Korea confirms the observations of the South Korean military: A new ballistic missile was shot down from a submarine on Monday. However, experts do not suspect a groundbreaking development step.

The missile tested by North Korea’s military on Tuesday is a submarine-based ballistic missile, according to information from Pyongyang. The state news agency KCNA wrote on Wednesday of a “new type” missile that “brings the country’s defense technology to a high level and improves the underwater operability of our navy.”

According to the photos published by KCNA, it is a rather small missile with a presumably short range. Experts therefore do not see the test as a groundbreaking development step for the North Korean missile program. This is also underpinned by the fact that, according to previous knowledge, the ruler Kim Jong Un did not attend the missile test.

UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, which, depending on their design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. The country, which is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program, has already tested at least eight missiles this year, including what it claims to be a so-called hypersonic missile.

Envoys from the governments of South Korea, Japan and the USA met in Washington on Monday to discuss the North Korean nuclear program. The US envoy Sung Kim condemned the recent use of a “ballistic missile” and called on North Korea to refrain from further provocations and to engage in political talks. According to diplomats, the UN Security Council will discuss the latest missile test on Wednesday. The most powerful UN body wants to meet behind closed doors in the afternoon, New York time, at the request of the USA and Great Britain.

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