North Korea fires at least 1 submarine-launched missile, South Korea says

CNN  — 

North Korea fired at least one unidentified missile from a submarine off the coast in the waters of the Sea of Japan, South Korean officials said.

The missile was fired near the port city of Sinpo in the South Hamgyong province, on Sunday morning local time, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The US and South Korean intelligence authorities are analyzing the incident for further details, JCS said.

The launch took place three days after North Korea on Thursday fired off at least six short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea.

State media reported last week that Kim said the artillery units should be prepared for two missions, “first to deter war and second to take the initiative in war, by steadily intensifying various simulated drills for real war.”

Pyongyang is conducting its winter training and intelligence authorities in the US and South Korea are monitoring it, South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

On Monday local time, US, South Korean and United Nations Command forces on the peninsula were expected to begin the 11-day Freedom Shield exercises, which “will integrate elements of ‘live exercises’ with constructive simulations,” US Forces Korea (USFK) said in an earlier statement.

At the same time, field training exercises dubbed Warrior Shield will take place, it said.

Meanwhile, the US and South Korean air forces have been conducting regular air exercises. Last week, a US B-52 bomber was escorted by South Korean fighter jets as it flew into the South’s air defense identification zone, USFK said Monday.

The US-South Korea exercises are expected to be the largest the two allies have put on in years, since they scaled back such military displays in 2017 when then-US President Donald Trump tried to offer an opening for North Korea to negotiate an end to its long-range missile and nuclear weapons programs.

That opening has long since closed, with North Korea last year conducting a record number of missile tests while pledging to develop its nuclear program to arm the missiles.

The North’s missile testing has slowed in 2023, but tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high.

Analysts see little reason to think things will cool down.

“This is likely only the beginning of a series of provocative tests by North Korea,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said of Thursday’s missile firings.

“Pyongyang is poised to respond aggressively to major US-South Korea defense exercises, as well as to President Yoon’s upcoming summits with (Japanese) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida and (US) President (Joe) Biden.”

“The Kim regime may order missile firings of longer ranges, attempt a spy satellite launch, demonstrate a solid-fuel engine, and perhaps even conduct a nuclear test,” Easley said.