War drums on Korean Peninsula: Seoul announces ballistic missile launch

THE South Korea successfully launched a ballistic missile from a submarine today, announced by the South Korean presidency and thus the country became the seventh in the world to have this state-of-the-art technology.

The rocket was fired from the recently launched An Chang Changho submarine, which traveled the intended distance before hitting its target, the South Korean presidency said.

President Moon Jae-in oversaw the test.

To date, all other countries that have proven naval-to-surface ballistic missile (SLBM) capabilities also have nuclear weapons.

Possession of an SLBM is “very important in terms of deterrence against threats coming from many directions,” the South Korean presidency said.

“It will play a major role in autonomous national defense and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula in the future,” the source added.

An Chang Chang-ho, a 3,000-ton diesel-powered submarine named after a famous independence fighter, went into service in August.

Earlier in the day, North Korea also fired ballistic missiles filling the global community with concern.

At least one missile of unknown type was launched off the east coast of the country, the Joint Military Staff of South Korea announced today, a few days after the test launch of a long-range cruise missile.

The Japanese Coast Guard also said it had spotted a trail, which could be a ballistic missile fired from North Korea.

North Korea, for its part, has long sought to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile technology.

In January, during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea unveiled four of these missiles, which are “the most powerful weapon in the world,” according to the North Korean news agency KCNA.