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(4th LD) N. Korea presumed to have fired 1 SLBM-type missile: JCS

All News 10:37 October 02, 2019

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS more details in paras 2-6)
By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired what was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from waters off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, demonstrating its nuclear delivery capabilities just days before resuming denuclearization talks with the United States.

The missile, believed to be a type of Pukguksong, a North Korean SLBM, was fired from off the east coast near Wonsan in an easterly direction at 7:11 a.m. and flew around 450 kilometers at a maximum altitude of about 910 km, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The high altitude means the missile was fired at a high angle, and if it had been fired at a normal angle, it would have flown a much longer distance.

"Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said, calling on the North to stop such acts that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's presidential National Security Council (NSC) convened an emergency meeting and expressed strong concern over the launch.

In July, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a newly built submarine, calling for the development of naval armed forces to boost the country's military capabilities. The communist country is known to be building a new submarine in its naval base in Sinpo on its east coast.

U.S. Forces Korea said it is aware of the launch.

"We are aware of reports of a possible North Korean missile launch. We are continuing to monitor the situation and consulting closely with our allies in the region," USFK spokesperson Col. Lee Peters said in a statement sent to Yonhap News Agency.

According to foreign media reports, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference that North Korea launched two ballistic missiles and one of them fell into the country's exclusive economic zone.

The firing came a day after the North's First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that Pyongyang and Washington agreed to resume working-level nuclear talks this week. The two sides will have "preliminary contact" on Friday and working-level negotiations the following day, Choe said without disclosing the venue.

The U.S. State Department only said the two sides plan to "meet within the next week."

The nuclear talks have been stalled since the breakdown of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi in February.

Analysts said the North could aim to strengthen its negotiating hand with the weapons tests.

This photo, released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 23, 2019, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from R) inspecting a newly built submarine. As is customary, the agency didn't provide the date and location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

This photo, released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 23, 2019, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from R) inspecting a newly built submarine. As is customary, the agency didn't provide the date and location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

It is the 11th such round of launches by the North so far this year, as it has carried out a succession of missile or rocket firings since May after an 18-month hiatus. The last one took place on Sept. 10 when it is believed to have test-fired two or three projectiles from what it dubbed its "super-large" multiple rocket launcher system.

Covering the news of the firing the following day, the KCNA hinted that more tests could be coming as it said the remaining step is to carry out a test "which is most vivid character in terms of the power of multiple rocket launchers."

During the previous 10 rounds of tests, North Korea was believed to have showed off four new types of weapons: its version of Russia's Iskander ballistic missile, its version of the U.S.' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), "a new large-caliber multiple launch guided rocket system" presumed to be a 400-millimeter one and the super-large launcher.

As for its version of Iskander, the North has tested it at least five times so far this year, including the launches from its northwestern area of Kusong toward the East Sea.

Wednesday's test-firing also came a day after South Korea officially marked its introduction of F-35A stealth fighters for the first time during the Armed Forces Day ceremony.

South Korea has so far brought in eight F-35As, beginning with two in late March, under a plan to deploy 40 fifth-generation jets through 2021.

North Korea has intensified its criticism against South Korea for the introduction of such advanced weaponry, claiming that such a military buildup is aimed at destroying North Korea, and it is in violation of last year's inter-Korean military agreement that calls for halting hostility against each other.

In this image, captured from the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station, on May 5, 2019, a weapon of similar appearance to Russia's tactical ballistic missile, the Iskander, is fired the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

In this image, captured from the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station, on May 5, 2019, a weapon of similar appearance to Russia's tactical ballistic missile, the Iskander, is fired the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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