North Korea says it fired cruise missiles meant for submarine launch
North Korea said it test-fired two types of strategic cruise missiles in waters off its east coast on Wednesday, the AP and Yonhap reported. Experts said they may have come from a new submarine shown off in 2023. South Korea's military said it tracked the missiles from launch to the end of their flight.
North Korea said Thursday that its military test-fired two types of strategic cruise missiles in the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, The Associated Press and South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported. North Korea described the missiles as designed to be launched from submarines.
The North's state news agency, KCNA, said the test was meant to check the readiness of its underwater combat systems and help its navy carry out "strategic missions," according to Yonhap. Calling the weapons strategic suggests North Korea intends to arm them with nuclear warheads, the AP said. State media did not say whether the missiles were fired from a real submarine or an underwater test platform, the AP reported.
Experts told Yonhap the missiles appeared to come from the Hero Kim Kun Ok, a 3,000-ton-class submarine that North Korea unveiled in September 2023 and calls its first tactical nuclear attack submarine. If so, it may be the first launch from that vessel, Yonhap said.
It was the first test of its kind since January 2024, when North Korea said it fired cruise missiles from a smaller submarine with leader Kim Jong Un watching, Yonhap reported. Kim did not attend this week's test, which experts saw as a way to show off the navy while limiting outside pressure, the agency said.
South Korea's military did not announce the launch Wednesday. But Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young said it had tracked the missiles "from before the launch through the cruise phase to the end of the flight," according to Yonhap. He said one type was fired from a vertical launch system and the other from a torpedo tube.
It is unclear whether North Korea can build the systems needed for reliable underwater launches, which would be harder for its neighbors to detect, the AP reported.
Earlier this week, North Korea fired tactical ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the sea, Yonhap said. The tests come during a long freeze in talks with Washington and Seoul, according to the AP.
What we know: North Korea says it fired two types of submarine-launched cruise missiles on Wednesday, and South Korea says it tracked them.
What we don't: Whether the missiles were launched from the new submarine or from a test platform.
Where outlets agree The AP and Yonhap both report that North Korea said it test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.