North Korea holds first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly 3 years

If confirmed, Wednesday’s missile launches were the first public weapons tests from that submarine, which implies North Korea began testing weapons systems for the vessel before its deployment in what would be a major threat to South Korea and the U.S., experts say.

Weapons testing likely signals impending submarine deployment

North Korea for years has been developing various missiles designed to be fired from underwater, which was a worrying development for its rivals because such launches would be difficult to detect in advance.

Before Wednesday’s tests, all North Korean underwater launches were made from a 2,000-ton-class submarine with a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform rather than an operational submarine in active service.

In September 2023, North Korea launched the “Hero Kim Kun Ok,” saying the submarine was capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. State media photos showed the submarine has at least 10 missile launch tubes in addition to its torpedo tubes.

At the time, many foreign experts were skeptical the submarine would work as North Korea described, saying it was likely a modification of an existing, aging diesel-fueled submarine.

A lack of known weapons tests from the submarine in the past three years signaled it had some technical issues including an ability to right itself. But Wednesday’s tests indicated North Korea had resolved those issues and started testing the weapons to be carried by the submarine, according to analyst Shin Jong-woo at South Korea’s Defense and Security Forum.

North Korea will likely also test ballistic missiles from the submarine before it is deployed by the navy, Shin said.

The submarine’s deployment “would pose a significant threat” to South Korea and the U.S. because underwater-launched missiles are “formidable weapons that we don’t know when and where they would be fired,” said Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launches and concluded the missiles were launched from a submarine, with one fired from a vertical launch tube and the other from a torpedo tube. The South’s military didn’t immediately specify the North Korean submarine that it believed was involved.

North Korean leader wants to pressure Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently turned his focus to strengthening the navy after a decade of expanding the country’s ballistic missile program. In March 2025, North Korea unveiled its first nuclear-powered submarine under construction, but it’s unclear when the construction would be completed.

Wednesday’s launches were the first underwater testing activities since January 2024. They extended a recent run in weapons demonstrations, including tests of various hypersonic missile systems on Sept. 20 and Oct. 3 that the North said were aimed at advancing its arsenal of weapons designed to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea and Japan.

The tests came after North Korea in August rebuffed U.S. President Donald Trump’s apparent effort to revive diplomacy with Kim by scaling back a military drill with South Korea. North Korea said shortening the duration of the drill won’t change its hostile nature.

North Korea has previously said it could return to diplomacy if the U.S. abandons its “hostile” policy toward Pyongyang and drops demands for the North’s denuclearization as a precondition for talks.

North Korea’s latest submarine-launched tests were part its efforts to gain leverage in potential negotiations with the U.S., Moon said.

“North Korea would want to say it would never give up its nukes,” Moon said. “It’s sending a message to the U.S. saying that ‘We’ve perfected land-abased nuclear weapons and are deploying nuclear weapons to the maritime domain so that you shouldn’t demand our denuclearization any longer.’”

Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

North Korea holds first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly 3 years

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