🇰🇵🇰🇷 North Korea tests submarine cruise missiles

North Korea said it test-fired two types of strategic cruise missile into the East Sea on Oct. 14, with South Korean officials indicating the launch may have come from the 3,000-ton-class Hero Kim Kun Ok submarine unveiled in 2023. Pyongyang said the test checked underwater combat system readiness, while Seoul said it tracked the missiles from before launch through the end of flight.

If confirmed, this would mark the first reported launch from the Hero Kim Kun Ok, which North Korea has described as its first tactical nuclear attack submarine and a core underwater offensive asset. South Korea's military said one missile was launched from a vertical launching system and another from a torpedo tube, indicating multiple submarine launch modes; the previous reported submarine cruise missile test was in January 2024 from the smaller 8.24 Yongung.

The launch follows North Korea's tactical ballistic missile test earlier this week and extends a pattern of naval and missile signaling without Kim Jong-un's direct attendance. Seoul did not publicly announce the launch on the day, but rejected any suggestion it had failed to detect it.

#NorthKorea #SouthKorea

@asianomics