S.Korean Military Not Ruling Out North Launched Missile From Submarine - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2021) The South Korean military believes that the latest North Korean missile could have been test-launched from a submarine, South Korean media reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

South Korea and Japan reported detecting the launch of an unidentified projectile from North toward the Sea of Japan overnight Tuesday. The South Korean military identified the projectile as a short-range ballistic missile.

"A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLMB) was presumably tested," a military source was quoted as saying by The Dong-a Ilbo daily.

The missile was likely launched from the North Korean city of Sinpo, where a shipyard for the construction of submarines is situated, the source added, noting that the city was the location for several SLBM launches in the past.

The Yonhap news agency also cited an unnamed official of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying that the launch is believed to be a test of an SLBM.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that there were two distinct launches from North Korea.