North Korea may be building nuclear missile submarines.
South Korean intelligence has detected signs that North Korea is building new submarines capable of firing missiles with nuclear warheads.
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North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine in April 2016. Photo:KCNA. |
Kim Hack-yong, former chairman of the South Korean parliament's defense committee, said on July 6, citing intelligence sources, that North Korea is likely developing a new submarine at the port city of Sinpo in the eastern part of the country.WSJ.
An aide to Kim said South Korean intelligence detected activity by numerous North Korean workers and materials stockpiled at the port of Sinpo, where submarine construction appeared to be taking place in indoor facilities..
Kim, a conservative and skeptical figure regarding negotiations with North Korea, believes that Pyongyang's newly built submarine could carry and fire ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
US military intelligence at the timeOctober 2017Evidence has also been found suggesting that North Korea is rushing to build a diesel-electric submarine equipped with ballistic missiles at Sinpo port. The submarine, estimated to have a displacement of around 2,000 tons and a width of about 11 meters, would be Pyongyang's largest naval asset since the appearance of the Najin-class frigates.
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The port city of Sinpo is located in eastern North Korea. Graphic:Google Maps. |
Information provided by Kim Hack-yongThis statement comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting North Korea and is expected to urge Pyongyang to make stronger commitments to the denuclearization process.
Meanwhile, five US officials cited intelligence reports late last month indicating that North Korea has accelerated the production of materials used to manufacture nuclear warheads at several secret facilities in recent months, despite the commitment to "work toward complete denuclearization" made at the US-North Korea summit on June 12.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have decreased significantly afterThe US-North Korea summit took place in Singapore in June. However, the joint statement issued after the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump was criticized for lacking specificity, as it did not contain any binding clauses for North Korea regarding the cessation of its missile and nuclear programs.
