N. Korea sub-launched missile reported

South Korea says projectile traveled about 19 miles.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast, South Korean defense officials said, Pyongyang’s latest effort to expand its military might in the face of pressure by its neighbors and Washington.

The South Korean officials could not immediately confirm where the projectile landed. The Saturday evening launch of what the officials said was presumably a submarine-launched ballistic missile took place near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems.

U.S. Strategic Command, headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, said its “systems detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean submarine missile launch from the Sea of Japan.” A statement from Strategic Command added that the missile launch “did not pose a threat to North America.”

A successful test from a submarine would be a worrying development because mastering the ability to fire missiles from submerged vessels would make it harder for outsiders to detect what North Korea is doing before it launches, giving it the potential to surprise its enemies.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the projectile fired by the North on Saturday traveled about 19 miles. It said a typical submarine-launched ballistic missile can travel at least 186 miles.

The North last testlaunched a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Dec. 25, but that test was seen as failure, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The U.S. State Department would not comment on the reports of Saturday’s launch, but noted, “Launches using ballistic missile technology are a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”

North Korea has recently sent a barrage of missiles and artillery shells into the sea amid ongoing annual military drills between the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang says the drills are a preparation for an invasion of the North. The firings also come as the North expresses anger about toughened international sanctions over its recent nuclear test and longrange rocket launch.

North Korea’s belligerence may also be linked to a major ruling party congress next month meant to further cement leader Kim Jong Un’s grip on power.

LEE JIN-MAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS A TV news program shows file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, after North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast.