North Korea on Saturday fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile Seoul have confirmed, becoming its second missile launch in three days following the warning by the United States that Pyongyang could be preparing for a nuclear test.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that North Korea has dramatically increased its sanctions-busting missile launches this year, conducting 15 weapons tests including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile at the full range for the first time since 2017.
Saturday missile launch comes two days before South Korea swears in a new, hawkish President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Satellite imagery indicates North Korea may be preparing to resume nuclear testing, and the US State Department on Friday warned a nuke test could come ‘as early as this month’.
‘Our military detected around 14:07 (0507 GMT) that a short-range ballistic missile presumed to be an SLBM fired from waters off Sinpo, South Hamgyong’ Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Sinpo is a major naval shipyard in North Korea and satellite photographs have in the past shown submarines at the facility.
Read Also: Russia Begins Use Of Advanced Hypersonic Missiles In Ukraine
Japan’s coast guard, citing information from its defence ministry, said North Korea had launched an object “likely to be a ballistic missile” and warned its vessels to be aware.
Africa Daily News, New York had last week reported that, while overseeing a huge military parade, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to develop his nuclear forces ‘at the fastest possible speed’ and warned of possible ‘pre-emptive’ strikes.
On Friday, the United States released a new assessment saying that Pyongyang was ‘preparing its Punggye-ri test site and could be ready to test there as early as this month’, State Department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter said.
‘This assessment is consistent with the DPRK’s own recent public statements,’ she added.
US President Joe Biden later this month travels to Japan and South Korea, where concerns about Pyongyang are expected to be high on the agenda.
A North Korean test could coincide with Biden’s visitor with the May 10 inauguration of Yoon, who has vowed to take a harder line on Pyongyang.
Africa Daily News, New York
