Continuation of Kim Jong Un's Missile Launches; North Korea Tests New Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles

North Korea tested its new submarine-launched cruise missiles on Sunday, February 8. According to news sources, this was the second test of such missiles in the past week and indicates a speeding up of the country's naval forces' equipping with nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, personally supervised this test. The missiles successfully flew for about 7400 seconds over the East Sea of Korea and struck an unspecified target on an island. Kim described the test as 'successful and strategically significant for modernizing the army and creating a powerful navy.' Photos released by North Korean state media show a missile being launched from underwater towards a cloudy sky, with thick smoke obscuring the launch platform. North Korea's cruise missiles generally have less sensitivity compared to ballistic missiles and are not explicitly prohibited in United Nations Security Council resolutions. However, analysts say that medium-range cruise missiles are just as dangerous as ballistic missiles and represent serious capabilities for North Korea. In recent months, North Korea has tested a range of weapons including developing ballistic missile systems and an underwater drone. Kim Jong Un has also separately visited the construction of a nuclear submarine and discussed the development of new types of warships. On February 5, following North Korea's launch of several cruise missiles towards the waters off its western coast, the United States urged the country to refrain from further destabilizing actions and return to 'diplomatic engagement.' Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated, 'We consider [North Korea's actions] extremely dangerous.' Patel added, 'We have no hostile intent towards North Korea and remain open to diplomacy without preconditions.'