N. Korea’s missile likely failed after its launch

Associated Press

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from a submarine but it likely failed in its early stage, the latest in a string of tests that are part of efforts by the North to advance technology capable of delivering nuclear warheads, the U.S. and South Korea said.

The U.S. Strategic Command said that the missile was tracked Saturday over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, where it apparently fell.

It was launched from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul’s Defense Ministry.

North Korea acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbors because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it’s unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology.

North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests.

U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, NATO’s top military commander, said Saturday that North Korea’s latest missile test represents a serious threat, both to the region and the U.S.