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North Korea's state news agency KCNA admitted
Photo: STR / AFP
North Korea has tested missiles several times in the past few weeks, causing international concern.
After the latest campaign, these worries should not have been dispelled - on the contrary.
According to state media, North Korea has successfully tested a submarine-based ballistic missile.
The "new type" missile has "many advanced control and control technologies," reported the state news agency KCNA on Wednesday.
According to diplomats, the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting.
On Tuesday, the South Korean military reported the latest missile test in North Korea and reported an "unidentified" projectile.
Experts had already suspected that it could be a submarine-supported ballistic missile.
The projectile was fired from the same submarine as the first submarine-based ballistic missile (SLBM) tested by Pyongyang five years ago, according to KCNA.
The newspaper "Rodong Sinmun" published pictures showing how the black and white rocket emerges from calm waters and pulls a column of fire and smoke behind it.
An emerging submarine could also be seen in the photos.
Should North Korea actually be able to fire ballistic missiles from submarines, that would be a significant step in the armaments efforts of the internationally isolated country.
Pyongyang could then launch attacks from locations other than the North Korean mainland - and would be able to react even after a possible attack on its military bases.
Security Council meets on the situation
Against the background of these developments, the UN Security Council scheduled a non-public emergency meeting for Wednesday, according to diplomatic circles.
The meeting was therefore requested by Great Britain and the USA.
United Nations resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles.
Depending on the design, these can also carry a nuclear warhead.
The US, South Korea and Japan condemned the latest test.
This coincides with the opening of the largest arms fair in South Korea and the election campaign in neighboring Japan.
The internationally largely isolated North Korea is subject to strict US and UN sanctions because of its nuclear and missile program.
jok / AFP
