Politics

North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile from a submarine

Seoul, May 7 (EFE).- North Korea launched what is believed to be a ballistic missile from a submarine Friday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced.

In a statement, the JCS said that it detected that North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile, estimated to be an SLBM, from the coastal city of ​​Sinpo in South Hamgyong province into the East Sea (as the Sea of Japan is known in the two Koreas) at 2:07 pm.

Sinpo, located along the eastern coast of North Korea, is where the country’s development center for submarines and SLBMs is located, and is the area where the regime usually tests such missiles.

“The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis for additional information,” the JCS said.

“Preparing against the possibility of an additional launch, our military, in close cooperation with the US, is keeping close tabs on related movements and maintaining a readiness posture,” it added.

The latest launch comes three days after North Korea fired what was believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The fact that the North’s state media did not report this test the next day, as they usually do, suggests that the ICBM test was unsuccessful, as was the case with another ICBM launched on Mar. 16.

Saturday’s test also comes three days before South Korea’s conservative President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, takes office.

He has pledged to adopt a less tolerant attitude towards the neighboring country.

Yoon is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden in Seoul on May 21.

Satellite images during recent weeks have also indicated that Pyongyang may be preparing for its first nuclear test since 2017. EFE

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