North Korea on Saturday appeared to have test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul’s defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea made a decision to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South.
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The launch from a submarine was apparently successful but the missile failed in the early stage of flight, the South Korean defense ministry said in a press statement.
The U.S.is playing down concerns that its deployment of the missile defense system in South Korea will set back Chinese cooperation in countering North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons.
The multi-billion-euro THAAD system is to be deployed to the Korean peninsula over the objections of neighboring China and Russian Federation, which say a missile defense system would disrupt the balance of power that exists between nuclear-armed nations.
The North Korean test comes the next day after South Korea and the U.S. agreed that Washington would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Seoul “as soon as possible”.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the missile’s engine successfully ignited but the projectile soon exploded in mid-air at a height of about 10 kilometers (six miles), and covered not more than a few kilometers across the water.
“We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its global commitments”, the State Department said in a statement.
“North Korea has been persistent in violating United Nations resolutions by launching ballistic missiles continuously”, the defense ministry in Seoul said.
This followed a North Korean space launch in February that was condemned by the U.N. Security Council as a test of a long-range missile in disguise and the country’s fourth nuclear test a month earlier.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch did not pose an immediate threat.
The U.S. said it was monitoring and assessing the situation in close coordination with its regional allies and partners.
While security experts say it is unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge the North is making progress on such technology.
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North Korea test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with a “dagger of destruction”. China is in conflict with the decision and says that the system would affect their security balance without stopping North Korea’s nuclear program.
