Seoul: N. Korea Appears To Fire Submarine-Launched Missile

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast, South Korean defense officials said, Pyongyang's latest effort to expand its military might in the face of pressure by its neighbors and Washington.
    
The South Korean officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of office rules, could not immediately confirm where the projectile landed.

The Saturday evening launch of what the officials said was presumably a submarine-launched ballistic missile took place near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems.
    
U.S. Strategic Command, headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, said its "systems detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean submarine missile launch from the Sea of Japan." A statement from Strategic Command added that the missile launch "did not pose a threat to North America."
    
U.S. military forces "remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security.
    
A successful test from a submarine would be a worrying development because mastering the ability to fire missiles from submerged vessels would make it harder for outsiders to detect what North Korea is doing before it launches, giving it the potential to surprise its enemies.
    
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the projectile fired by the North on Saturday traveled about 19 miles. It said a typical submarine-launched ballistic missile can travel at least 186 miles.
    
The North last test-launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Dec. 25, but that test was seen as failure, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
    
The U.S. State Department would not comment on the reports of Saturday's launch, but noted, "Launches using ballistic missile technology are a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions."
    
"We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further destabilize the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its commitments and international obligations," said State Department spokesman John Kirby.
    
North Korea has recently sent a barrage of missiles and artillery shells into the sea amid ongoing annual military drills between the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang says the drills are a preparation for an invasion of the North. The firings also come as the North expresses anger about toughened international sanctions over its recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.
    
North Korea's foreign minister says in an interview with The Associated Press that his country is ready to halt its nuclear tests if the United States suspends its annual military exercises with South Korea.
    
He also defended the country's right to maintain a nuclear deterrent and warned that North Korea won't be cowed by international sanctions.
    
Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong, in his first interview with a Western news organization, held firm Saturday to Pyongyang's longstanding position that the U.S. drove his country to develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent. At the same time, he suggested that suspending the military exercises could open the door to reduced tensions.
    
"Stop the nuclear war exercises in the Korean Peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests," he said.
    
While South Korean experts say it's unlikely that North Korea currently possesses an operational submarine that can fire multiple missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.