North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile from Submarine

During joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, North Korea has conducted a ballistic missile test, which was launched from a submarine. Seoul officials state that the new missile is 'more advanced' compared to previous models. The testing of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) raises additional concerns in South Korea and its allies because detecting and tracking them is significantly more difficult than land-based positions. The missile was launched from the city of 'Sinpo' in eastern North Korea (northeast of the Korean Peninsula) and landed in the vicinity of the East Sea/Japan Sea, within Japan's air defense zone. The U.S. military has also confirmed that Pyongyang conducted a new missile test on the morning of July 25 and condemned it as a 'provocative' act. Prior to the start of the joint South Korea-U.S. exercises on Monday, North Korea had reiterated its threat of a 'preemptive nuclear strike.' The United States claims that the launched ballistic missile, likely of the KN-11 type, does not pose a threat to the northern part of the North American continent. Pentagon spokesman Gray Rose stated, 'This provocative action will only result in increased global opposition to the prohibited actions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).' On the other hand, North Korean officials have expressed concern about the 'progress' in the testing of the new missile. The official North Korean news agency, Yonhap, reports that this missile traveled 500 kilometers. In recent months, South Korea has also conducted other missile tests that are strongly suspected to have been carried out by submarines; in May, it was reported that the missile only traveled 30 kilometers and was effectively an 'unsuccessful' launch, or in July, where the South Korean military stated it failed in the early stages again. Yonhap cites analysts stating that achieving the capability to launch missiles from submarines is considered a 'new threat to the region' because it is very difficult to detect them before launch. Over the past five years, since Kim Jong-un, the latest member of the Kim family, took leadership in North Korea, the country has conducted more than 30 ballistic missile tests. The UN Security Council has intensified its sanctions against North Korea following its fourth nuclear test, which also occurred during Kim Jong-un's leadership. North Korea also claims to have successfully produced a miniaturized model of nuclear warheads to be attached to ballistic missiles. Seoul and Washington do not take this claim seriously and believe that Pyongyang is still unable to launch its nuclear warheads. China, North Korea's most important supporter, typically calls for restraint in response to North Korea's actions and seeks a way to return to nuclear negotiations with the country while urging Pyongyang to refrain from actions that worsen the situation.