N.Korea Tests Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles For First Time In Years
North Korea says it successfully test-fired two types of submarine-launched cruise missiles. The test marks the first reported launch of missiles from underwater by North Korea in three years.
“The Missile Administration of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea test-fired two kinds of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea of Korea on October 14,” North Korean state media reported on Thursday. “The test-fire aimed to examine the current mobilized posture of the underwater combat systems and contributed to getting the Navy skilled in performing its strategic missions and showcasing high reliability, trustworthiness and ability of the war deterrents of the DPRK.”
The missile test comes during a period of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Over the past several months, the US has participated in two major rounds of military exercises in the region, including bilateral drills with South Korea and trilateral exercises involving Japan.
Adding to tensions is a landmine explosion south of the border that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul says that North Korea planted the mine on the south side of the DMZ, but Pyongyang denies the allegation.
North Korea has also accused the US of upsetting regional stability by assisting South Korea and Japan in building nuclear-powered attack submarines. “The military moves of Japan’s present right-wing conservative regime, which put the successive Japanese regimes into the shade, have almost reached the dangerous level,” Pak Ju Won, an international security analyst wrote in an article published by North Korean state media.
“Against this backdrop, the possession of a nuclear-powered submarine is being openly debated in the archipelago, giving rise to a concern among the international community.”
He added, “It is the true intention of the Japanese neo-militarist force to formalize the possession of nuclear-powered submarines and secure a stepping-stone to the possession of nuclear weapons in the long-run.”
Amid rising tensions, President Donald Trump is suggesting a meeting with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang has maintained that Kim will not meet with an American leader until Washington drops its demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons.
Under Trump, the US has maintained that the Korean Peninsula must be a nuclear-free region. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement with South Korea and Japan calling for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
Bringing Pyongyang closer to deploying nuclear-capable weapons underwater...
🇰🇵🇰🇷 North Korea has launched cruise missiles from its largest submarine for the first time... bringing Pyongyang closer to deploying nuclear-capable weapons underwater. The Hero Kim Kun Ok, unveiled in 2023 with around 10 missile launch tubes, fired two different missiles into the Sea of Japan, one vertically and another through a torpedo tube. The test comes during escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea tested a hypersonic missile on October 3 and launched more ballistic missiles on October 12, while South Korea recently demonstrated its own hypersonic weapon. A September landmine explosion also injured three South Korean soldiers, with Seoul accusing Pyongyang of planting mines across the border. Although the submarine's aging design raises questions about its effectiveness, putting nuclear-capable missiles underwater could make North Korea's arsenal considerably harder to locate and neutralize. Source: Reuters / Writer: Mhedi
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 15, 2026
“Reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the statement said.
Kim maintains he is unwilling to give up his nuclear arsenal as the weapons serve as a deterrent to a US regime change operation. Kim has pointed to US attacks on countries without nuclear weapons as justification for maintaining its nuclear deterrent.