[Anchor]
As if trying to exploit discord in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea has engaged in missile provocations once again. Yesterday (October 14), it fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in DONGHAE. The submarine that North Korea claimed was designed for "tactical nuclear attacks" appears to have been mobilized three years after its launch.
Reporter Kim Ayeong follows up with the details.
[Reporter]
These are photos released by North Korea's General Missile Bureau, claiming it test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles (SLCMs) yesterday in DONGHAE waters.
Since one flew vertically and the other flew at an angle, it is analyzed that they were launched from the submarine's vertical launch tube and torpedo tube, respectively.
Looking at the shape of the conning tower, it matches the "Hero Kim Kun Ok," which North Korea claimed was its first 3,000-ton "tactical nuclear attack submarine."
The "Hero Kim Kun Ok" was built by significantly expanding the hull of a Soviet-designed Romeo-class diesel submarine to accommodate 10 vertical launch tubes, and it earned the nickname "Frankenstein submarine" due to its unusual appearance.
At the time of its launching ceremony in September 2023, the South Korean military assessed that it did not appear capable of normal operation, but weapons launches seem to have taken place after roughly three years.
[Shin Jong-woo / Secretary General of the Korea Defense and Security Forum: Whether it was the engine or something else, there seem to have been issues preventing the submarine from conducting weapons system tests until now. This time, they appear to have resolved them all and conducted respective launch tests.]
Calling for the reinforcement of its naval nuclear force, North Korea is accelerating the operation of 5,000-ton destroyers, unmanned underwater vehicles, and submarine capabilities.
Although the South Korean military made no separate announcement yesterday, it stated that it had been monitoring North Korean military movements.
[Jang Doyoung / Head of Public Affairs Office, Joint Chiefs of Staff: We continuously tracked and monitored North Korean cruise missile movements through various means across the pre-launch, cruise, and termination phases.]
While North Korea tested submarine-launched missiles in DONGHAE waters yesterday, it was reported that a U.S. Navy high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and a U.S. Army reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft also flew over DONGHAE yesterday.
Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Jung SUNGHOON
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