North's missile launch prompts speculation about SLBM program

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North's missile launch prompts speculation about SLBM program

Published: 19 Apr. 2026, 17:43

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A North Korean missile is launched from underwater on Oct. 19, 2021, in this photo provided by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency the following day. [YONHAP]

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) into the East Sea on Sunday from an area associated with its submarine fleet, prompting speculation that the launches could be linked to its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) program.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched around 6:10 a.m. from Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, flying about 140 kilometers (87 miles) toward waters off Alsom, an island in North Hamgyong Province often used as a target in weapons tests.

The launches consisted of roughly five projectiles exhibiting typical SRBM characteristics, according to Seoul’s military.

While South Korean and U.S. authorities are weighing the possibility that the missiles were fired from land, some analysts say the launch area — home to the North’s main submarine assets — raises the possibility that the tested weapons were SLBMs.

The Sinpo base hosts the North’s 3,000-ton Hero Kim Kun Ok tactical nuclear attack submarine, as well as the 8.24 Yongung, a test platform long used in SLBM development.

Pyongyang first conducted an SLBM test from the platform in 2016 and has used it for subsequent launches, including one in 2022.

The launches point to continued efforts by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to develop a second-strike capability, which would enable his regime to launch nuclear weapons from underwater assets even if the country suffered nuclear strikes.

Sunday’s tests are the latest in a flurry of recent weapons-related activities by the regime. North Korea conducted multiple missile and engine tests earlier this month, including test launches of the KN-23 SRBM with different warhead configurations. It also launched strategic cruise missiles and antiship missiles from a newly unveiled 5,000-ton destroyer on April 12.

Some analysts say the tests have been timed to take advantage of the diversion of global attention to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Others point to internal and diplomatic factors. North Korea has often staged major weapons tests around key political anniversaries, including April 15, the birthday of Kim Il Sung, founder of the regime and Kim Jong-un’s grandfather.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversees test launches of strategic cruise missiles and antiship missiles from the soon-to-be-commissioned destroyer Choe Hyon on April 13 in this photo released by the North's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency the following day. [YONHAP]

The latest launches also come shortly after a visit to Pyongyang by Beijing’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, which some observers have taken as a signal by the North that it will press ahead with weapons development regardless of China’s preference.

Still, officials have been cautious in their assessments of the launches, as North Korea has previously conducted land-based tests near submarine facilities to mimic SLBM activity.

“The reported range and trajectory [of these projectiles] make it difficult to definitively classify this as an SLBM,” said Shin Jong-woo, an analyst at the Korea Defense and Security Forum. “They could also be tests of a new tactical ballistic missile.”

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the launches but concluded that they did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or its allies.

South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting following the launches and issued a statement condemning them as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

It also urged the North to “halt further provocations.”

Seoul’s Defense Ministry added that the South Korean military is maintaining a firm combined defense posture with the United States and remains prepared to respond to any escalation by the North.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]