North Korea said on Saturday it had successfully conducted an underwater test-fire of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which, if true, would indicate progress in the secretive state’s pursuit of building missile-equipped submarines.
The North’s official news agency KCNA said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-launch from a location off-shore as the submarine dived underwater and a ballistic missile surfaced from the sea and soared into the air, leaving a fiery trail.
North Korean state broadcaster, KRT, broadcast still photographs on Saturday showing Kim watching as a missile was launched. No date or location was given.
North Korea is under United Nations sanctions banning it from developing or using ballistic missile technology.
The report did not mention the date or the exact location of the test, but a separate KCNA despatch on Saturday said Kim gave field guidance at a fishery complex in Sinpo, a port city on the country’s east coast and the location of a known submarine base.
North Korea has been seen to be developing the missile-launch capability for its fleet of submarines, although experts have questioned whether the state would have the financial and technical resources to build an operational system.
Ventuno