Pyongyang tests “submarine-launched ballistic missile”, meeting called at UN

Published on : 20/10/2021 – 01:24

In the aftermath of Seoul’s announcement, North Korea confirmed it had successfully tested a “new type” of submarine-launched ballistic missile, state media reported early Wednesday (October 20th).

The South Korean army said on Tuesday that the missile launched was a strategic sea-to-ground ballistic missile (SLBM) fired from Sinpo, in eastern North Korea, towards the sea. traveled about 590 kilometers at a maximum altitude of about 60 kilometers, a source told AFP.

The weapon is equipped with “many advanced control and guidance technologies”, according to the official North Korean news agency KCNA which claims that it was fired from the same submarine, the “8.24 Yongung”, that the one used by the country during its first SLBM test five years ago.

In 2016 and 2019, Pyongyang had already carried out two submarine launches, but the Pentagon and analysts believe they were carried out from a submerged platform.

An arms race between the two Koreas

If the new missile was successfully fired from an active submarine, it would mark a considerable technological advance for the North Korean arsenal with the possibility of deployment well beyond the Korean peninsula, and a capacity of second strike in the event of an attack on its military bases.

This test comes at a time when the two Koreas, still technically at war, seem to have embarked on an arms race and the Washington-Pyongyang dialogue is at a standstill.

In September, Seoul tested its first SLBM, becoming one of the few countries with this advanced technology, and unveiled a hypersonic cruise missile.

For its part, Pyongyang recently carried out several tests, including a long-range missile, a weapon fired from a train and a missile presented as hypersonic.

Last week, an exhibition devoted to defense provided an opportunity to present the country’s weaponry, in particular a huge intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), unveiled last year during a military parade. Pyongyang says it needs such an arsenal to defend against a possible American invasion.

A meeting called urgently at the UN

Faced with this renewed tension, the United Nations (UN) Security Council will hold an emergency closed-door meeting on North Korea on Wednesday afternoon, diplomats told AFP. The session was requested by the UK and US, the same sources report.

North Korea is hit with a series of sanctions by the UN because it continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in contravention of its resolutions.

The White House stressed that the new launch was a threat that only underscored the “urgent” need for dialogue with Pyongyang, but also its “steadfast” commitment to help defend South Korea and Japan.

The South Korean National Security Council, meeting urgently on Tuesday, also urged Pyongyang to resume dialogue.

With AFP