• North Korea is stepping up confrontation with the United States and its allies

Seoul: North Korea launched several cruise missiles from the sea near Sinpo in the eastern region of the country at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, according to the South Korean military.

As there is a submarine development base in Sinpo, which faces the Sea of Japan, the latest missile firing may be related to the development of cruise missiles launched from submarines.

North Korea launched new strategic cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea only on Wednesday.

The United States and South Korea are analyzing the flight routes of the missiles fired on Sunday. Cruise missiles are slower than ballistic missiles, and they fly in irregular trajectories at low altitudes.

The latest launch is likely to be aimed at accelerating the practical use of submarine-mounted nuclear weapons capable of carrying out surprise attacks. In March last year, North Korea announced that it has conducted a drill to launch cruise missiles from a submarine near Sinpo, and in September the same year, the country held a launch ceremony for a newly built “tactical nuclear attack submarine” at the Sinpo shipyard.

North Korea has stepped up its military activities this year and increased its threats against South Korea. On Jan 14, Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile, and on Jan 19, it announced that it has conducted an important test of a weapon believed to be a type of nuclear torpedo. On Jan 15, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech in which he declared South Korea his country’s “principal enemy.”

JIJI Press