Seoul Believes North Korea Gearing Up For SLBM Launch - Reports
Sumaira FH Published September 24, 2022 | 05:20 PM
SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2022) South Korea believes that North Korea's activities in the eastern coastal city of Sinpo may indicate that Pyongyang is preparing to fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday, citing military sources.
Sources told Yonhap that the South Korean military recently detected possible signs of preparations for the SLBM launch in the North Korean city of Sinpo.
"We are closely monitoring North Korea's SLBM-related facilities and activities, and maintaining a thorough readiness posture," an unnamed military official was quoted as saying by the news agency.
These alleged preparations may come as a response to the arrival of the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier for military drills scheduled for late September, the news agency noted.
On Wednesday, a US-based think tank 38 North shared commercial satellite photos of the Sinpo south shipyard from September 18 that showed six barges and vessels gathered around a construction quay.
The think tank believes that the new position of the vessels at the port indicates that Pyongyang is preparing to launch a new submarine.
North Korea conducted a successful test launch of the Pukguksong-1 SLBM in 2015. The third modification, Pukguksong-3, was launched in 2019 from a submerged barge. In October 2019, North Korea demonstrated a new missile, Pukguksong-4S, at a parade in Pyongyang, with Pukguksong-5S presented in January 2020.
In October 2021, North Korea announced that it had tested an SLBM from the submarine dubbed "Hero of August 24." Although Pyongyang did not reveal the name of the missile, it is believed to be the Pukguksong type.
In May 2022, South Korea said its northern neighbor launched one short-range ballistic missile, presumably an SLBM, near the Sinpo Port toward the Sea of Japan.
North Korea's latest SLBMs are presumably constructed for a 3,000-tonne submarine that is still under development.
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