World

North Korea Tests Submarine Missile In Direct Violation Of UN Resolution

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Russ Read Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter
Font Size:

North Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which disintegrated shortly after launch.

“Under U.N. resolutions, North Korea is prohibited from developing or testing any kind of ballistic missile,” said South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok.

The test, carried out in the Sea of Japan, is the latest provocation from the hermit nation. The event is the second test of an SLBM this year which the U.S. claims was faked, hinting that North Korea is actively pursuing an underwater nuclear capability.

The test comes at a precarious time, as rumors of a North Korean leadership purge were reported in mid-November.

North Korea’s army is largely centered on the potential for reigniting its currently stalemated land war with South Korea, however SLBM capability will allow North Korea to become a threat to a significant portion of the Asia-Pacific region. While North Korean submarines are hardly state of the art, according to Joe Bermudez of North Korea analysis site 38 North, keeping track of a nuclear-armed SLBM is significantly more difficult than traditional missile platforms.

In order to successfully mount a nuclear warhead on a SLBM (or any other missile), North Korea will need to successfully miniaturize a nuclear weapon. Though a highly technical feat, North Korea claimed in May of this year it has accomplished the ability to miniaturize. National Security Council spokesman Patrick Ventrell expressed doubt that North Korea has the capability.

Follow Russ Read on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.