North Korea Submarine-Launch Missile a Flop Show
North Korea apparently failed to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine in a sign that Pyongyang has yet to master the technology, Yonhap news agency quoted a government official as saying.
According to a source from the South Korean government, the failure took place in the Sea of Japan.
North Korea is believed to have fired a KN-11 missile from a submarine in the East Sea roughly between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m., but the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) failed to soar from the waters, the official said.
"The North appears to have failed in its launch," the official said, citing debris from the missile found on the ocean surface. The official asked not to be identified, citing the issue’s sensitivity.
The test, if confirmed, follows a test-launch in May of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which Pyongyang boasted as a success but has not been independently verified.
Firing or testing ballistic missiles is a violation of United Nations sanctions against North Korea, however the nation has openly discussed its intention to beef up the size of its navy and develop the ability to launch from underwater.