North Korea said it launched a ballistic missile from a submarine in a test exercise, underscoring the nation’s expanding military capabilities.
South Korean officials said its northern neighbor and antagonist fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into the waters off its coast, according to the Associated Press. It was the second consecutive day North Korean officials warned it would shoot South Korean naval vessels for apparent infringement on western waters off the Korean Peninsula.
Firing missiles underwater from a submarine, rather than shooting into the air from land, would be a step up for North Korea. Such attacks are more difficult to stop because they’re harder to detect. North Korea already has shown it can fire air missiles, but this would be the first underwater one it’s successfully launched.
An expert quoted by the Associated Press said the episode was aimed at wringing concessions from the United States and South Korea in potential preliminary talks regarding North Korean denuclearization.
“By raising tensions, North Korea is trying to ensure that it will be able to drive whatever future talks with the U.S. and South Korea,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor from the Seoul-based University of North Korean Studies.
