Seoul says N. Korea test-fires submarine-launched missile

KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said that North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its eastern coast.

The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul's Defense Ministry, who didn't want to be named, citing office rules. He couldn't immediately confirm how far the missile traveled and where it landed.

North Korea's acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbors because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it's unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology.

North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests.

North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it as a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with "dagger of destruction."

The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Dec. 25, but that test was seen as failure, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year.

The latest launch came a day after U.S. and South Korean military officials said they were ready to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats.

Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help U.S. radars spot missiles in their countries.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-09

This is the third failure of this kind of missile launch.

People pay attention...once they perfect this delivery system...and they will...there will be no place safe on earth...

This is a "North Korean Lives Matter" nut case...a loose cannon...that can not be trusted with a nuclear weapon...

The world is in serious danger of annihilation...

Just imagine what an old and cranky N. Korean leader with dementia might decide to do...

I always said they should have gone in to North Korea instead of Iraq. The fact they have WMDs and we haven't invaded them shows that they knew Iraq didn’t have them you ant going to invaded someone who actually has them are you that's just stupid.

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Funny we go into Iraq to take out WMD but not North Korea. Gee, you thinks its because one has oil and the other does not??? 555

People pay attention...once they perfect this delivery system...and they will...there will be no place safe on earth...

This is a "North Korean Lives Matter" nut case...a loose cannon...that can not be trusted with a nuclear weapon...

The world is in serious danger of annihilation...

Just imagine what an old and cranky N. Korean leader with dementia might decide to do...

The nuclear impact of the relative small sub launched missile can only effect an area of about ten square miles.The retaliations from the US,and South Korea would eliminate any more missiles and any threat from this lunatic and his military.He may have enough for three bombs at the most and the type he has relies on an aircraft to deliver them thus his experiments with missiles launching smaller nukes.He has one strike and he is finnished.A strike in the right city for impact the US may loose a few million people but it will recover.

Edited July 10, 20169 yr by sanukjim