North Korean Threats

North Korea claims to have successfully tested a ballistic missile from a submarine last Saturday.

This is the first test of which American officials are aware, even though it has been suspected that North Korea has been developing such a missile for quite some time. For the countries most worried of the possibility of incoming North Korean projectiles (Japan, South Korea, and the United States), this poses a new threat, given that missiles fired from submarines tend to be more difficult to detect as well as intercept. This new factor gives the potential for much more mobility, flexibility, and secrecy in attacks from North Korea against these countries.

Evidence of preparation for this test can be seen as far back as December of 2012 when North Korea successfully launched a long range rocket to put a satellite into space. It is believed that the true purpose of that launch was to test the effectiveness of their long range missile in reaching targets as far away as the continental United States.

News of this came as a surprise to South Korean military officials due to their expectations that it would take the North many years to develop such technology. However, within recent months there have been a number of warning signs, such as the fact that there have been supposed land-based tests of a submarine ejector launcher in the city of Sinpo.


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