ROK says DPRK fired possible sub missile

SEOUL－The Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired into the sea a short-range ballistic missile－described by the Republic of Korea as a weapon likely designed for submarine-based launches－in one of the most significant demonstrations of Pyongyang's military might since US President Joe Biden took office.

The ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Tuesday that the military detected an unidentified short-range ballistic missile, which the DPRK launched at 10:17 am local time toward the East Sea from Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, in the eastern DPRK.

It noted that the missile was estimated to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM. But it didn't elaborate whether it was fired from a vessel submerged underwater or another launch platform above the sea's surface.

According to Yonhap News Agency, it was known that the missile flew eastward for 430-450 kilometers at an altitude of 60 km.

If confirmed, it would mark the first SLBM test launch by the DPRK in about two years. In October 2019, the DPRK said it succeeded in test-firing a new type of SLBM, known as Pukguksong-3.

Under a United Nations Security Council resolution, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology.

In response to the launch, the ROK presidential Blue House convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.

During a speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly last month, ROK President Moon Jae-in proposed a political declaration to terminate the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two neighbors on the Korean Peninsula remain technically in a state of war as the fratricidal conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Stalled talks

The DPRK staged several missile tests in September amid deadlocked talks with the US.The negotiations have stalled for more than two years over disagreements relating to the lifting of crippling US-led sanctions against the DPRK in exchange for steps by Pyongyang toward denuclearization.

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un said last week that there has been "no behavioral ground "to believe the recent US signaling that Washington is not hostile to Pyongyang, slamming Seoul for its "double standards" in continuing to boost military capabilities.

On Sept 15, Seoul said it successfully test-fired a homegrown SLBM that was launched underwater from a domestically developed 3,000-ton submarine.

Tuesday's missile launch marked the eighth instance of saber-rattling by the DPRK this year. The DPRK said it tested its newly developed hypersonic missile Hwasong-8 on Sept 28, after launching two ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sept 15.It also tested a newly developed anti-aircraft missile on Sept 30.

Pyongyang test-fired cruise missiles into western waters on Jan 22 and March 21, before following up with a testing of ballistic missiles fired off the east coast on March 25. It also test-launched long-range cruise missiles on Sept 11-12.

Xinhua - Agencies