US and South Korea share information against North Korean submarines

The United States and South Korea have agreed to share information about the underwater environment in waters off North Korea to counter the growing military threat from North Korean submarines.

North Korean leader watches a missile test launch from a strategic submarine. Photo: Reuters

At a submarine-related committee meeting in June, the two allies discussed ways to analyze underwater information in waters on both sides of the Korean Peninsula and share it with each other, Yonhap quoted a South Korean military official as saying today.

The waters under the plan include South Korean territorial waters as well as waters around Sinpo, North Korea’s main submarine base, home port of its Gorae-class ballistic missile submarine program, located in North Korea’s northeastern Hamkyung Province.

"The underwater environment related to military operations includes topographical features, water temperature, depth, tidal currents, etc. Comprehensive analysis of these features will help locate North Korean submarine movements and possible incursions into South Korean waters," the official said.

In the Yellow Sea, especially near the Northern Limit Line, Seoul and Washington will step up surveillance and information analysis to determine whether North Korean submarines have infiltrated.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast on August 24. The missile was launched toward Japan, flew about 500 km and landed in waters below Japan's air defense identification zone. This is the longest flight by a North Korean missile of this type.

According to VNE