North Korea confirmed that it successfully tested a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile on October 19, 2021. The test launch was condemned by the United States, South Korea and Japan as it was conducted despite international sanctions.
North Korea is under UN Security Council sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which forbid it from testing ballistic missiles. It is also facing US sanctions over its nuclear programme.
The nation, however, is in a sort of missile testing spree to expand its military capabilities and build up advanced weapons technology. It had recently successfully tested a newly developed hypersonic missile called Hwasong-8. It had also test-fired a new "long-range cruise missile" in September.
Submarine-launched ballistic missile test
•The ballistic missile test was carried out near Sinpo, a major naval dockyard. The missile was reportedly launched from the same vessel '8.24 Yongung' that the North had used for its first SLBM test five years ago.
•According to North Korea's local state media, the missile reportedly has lots of advanced control guidance technologies. It is also capable of "gliding and jumping movement".
•The submarine-based missile capability is expected to take the North's arsenal to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula.
•It would also give North a second-strike capability in the event of an attack on its military bases.
Why is this submarine-launched ballistic missile test significant?•North Korea had tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile from an underwater platform in October 2019. The state media had reported at that time that the missile had been fired at a high angle to minimise the "external threat". •If the missile had been launched on a standard trajectory, it could have travelled a distance of almost 1,900km, bringing within range all of South Korea and Japan. •The submarine-launched missiles are also harder to detect and it would allow North Korea to deploy its weapons far beyond the Korean Peninsula. •The launch shows off North Korea's ever-expanding military capabilities. It also raises concern of an arms race on the Korean Peninsula with both the Koreas building up their weapons technology. |
Why have US, Japan & South Korea condemned the launch?
The United States, South Korea and Japan have condemned the launch, describing the missile as a ballistic missile. The North is banned from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles under UNSC sanctions.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold an emergency closed-door meeting on October 20th on North Korea. The United States said that the test underscored the "urgent" need for dialogue with North Korea.
The North has so far conducted five missile launches in the past couple of months, raising global concerns. However, none of them were ballistic missiles. Each missile test though showed different missile capabilities of the North.
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