North Korea confirms missile test designed for submarine launch

The launch came days before Sung Kim, President Biden’s special envoy on North Korea, was to travel to Seoul to discuss with allies the possibility of reviving diplomacy with Pyongyang.

North Korea said on Wednesday that it had test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine, in its first such underwater test-launch in two years and one it says will bolster its military’s undersea capabilities.

The test on Tuesday was the fifth round of missile launches since September and came as North Korea steps up pressure on Washington and Seoul to abandon what Pyongyang sees as hostile policies such as the joint U.S.-South Korea military drills and the international sanctions on North Korea.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the latest test “will greatly contribute to putting the defense technology of the country on a high level and to enhancing the underwater operational capability of our navy.”