North Korea tests possible submarine missile amid tension

Seoul: North Korea on Tuesday fired at least one ballistic missile into the sea in what South Korea's military described as a weapon likely designed for submarine-based launches, marking possibly the most significant demonstration of the North's military might since President Joe Biden took office.

The launch came hours after the U.S. reaffirmed its offer to resume diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. It underscored how the North continues to expand its military capabilities amid a pause in diplomacy.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected the North firing one short-range missile it believed was a submarine-launched ballistic missile from waters near the eastern port of Sinpo, and that the South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely analyzing the launch.

The South Korean military said the launch was made at sea, but it didn't elaborate whether it was fired from a vessel submerged underwater or another launch platform above the sea's surface.

Japan's military said its initial analysis suggested the North fired two ballistic missiles and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said officials were examining whether they were SLBMs.

After the launch, Kishida interrupted a campaign trip ahead of Japanese legislative elections later this month, returning to Tokyo. The leader ordered his government to start revising the country's national security strategy to adapt to North Korea's growing threats.

We cannot overlook North Korea's recent development in missile technology and its impact on the security of Japan and in the region, he said.

South Korean officials held a national security council meeting and expressed deep regret over the launch that came despite efforts to revive diplomacy. A strong South Korean response could anger North Korea, which has accused Seoul of hypocrisy for criticising the North's weapons tests while expanding its own conventional military capabilities.

The apparent site of the missile firing a shipyard in Sinpo is a major defense industry hub where North Korea focuses its submarine production.

In recent years, the North has also used Sinpo to develop ballistic weapons systems designed to be fired from submarines.

North Korea had last tested an SLBM in October 2019.

Analysts had expected the North to resume tests of such weapons after it rolled out at least two new SLBMs during military parades in 2020 and 2021. There have also been signs that the North is trying to build a larger submarine that would be capable of carrying and firing multiple missiles.