North Korea Conducts First Underwater Missile Tests in Nearly Three Years
The tests, likely involving a new submarine, signal Pyongyang's intent to pressure the U.S. in potential diplomatic negotiations.
North Korea conducted its first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly three years on Wednesday, potentially utilizing a newly deployed submarine designed for nuclear weapons deployment. The tests are seen as part of an escalating series of weapons demonstrations aimed at pressuring the United States into making concessions for the resumption of diplomacy.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the military tested two types of strategic cruise missiles in the country's eastern waters. The stated purpose of these tests was to assess the readiness of North Korea’s underwater combat systems and to demonstrate the reliability of its nuclear deterrent.
While KCNA did not specify the launch platform, photographs released by the agency suggested the mobilization of the "Hero Kim Kun Ok" submarine, which was unveiled in 2023. The agency’s photos of the launch suggested the country mobilized the “Hero Kim Kun Ok” submarine that was unveiled in 2023 with great fanfare but drew outside skepticism about its claimed capabilities.
Experts suggest that if these were indeed the first public weapons tests from this submarine, it indicates that North Korea began testing weapons systems for the vessel before its deployment. Such a development would represent a significant threat to South Korea and the United States.
North Korea has a history of developing underwater-launched missiles, which pose a challenge to detection by adversaries. Previously, all North Korean underwater launches were conducted from a smaller submarine with a single launch tube, which many experts considered a test platform rather than an operational vessel.
The "Hero Kim Kun Ok" submarine, unveiled in September 2023, was stated by North Korea to be capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. State media images showed it equipped with at least 10 missile launch tubes. However, foreign experts expressed skepticism about its capabilities, suggesting it might be a modification of an older diesel-fueled submarine. The lack of subsequent weapons tests from this submarine over the past three years led to speculation about technical issues, including its ability to right itself after a launch.
Wednesday's tests, however, suggest that North Korea may have resolved these issues and is preparing the submarine for operational deployment. Analysts believe North Korea will likely conduct ballistic missile tests from the submarine before its official deployment. The deployment of such a submarine is considered a considerable threat due to the difficulty in anticipating underwater missile launches.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed detecting the launches, identifying them as submarine-launched, with one missile fired from a vertical launch tube and another from a torpedo tube. The specific North Korean submarine involved was not immediately identified by the South Korean military.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently shifted focus to strengthening the navy, following a decade of expansion in the country's ballistic missile program. In March 2025, North Korea announced the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine, though its completion timeline remains unclear.
These underwater tests mark the first such activity since January 2024, continuing a recent trend of weapons demonstrations. This includes tests of various hypersonic missile systems in September and October 2026, which North Korea claimed were designed to overcome missile defense systems in South Korea and Japan.
The tests follow North Korea's rejection in August of a potential diplomatic initiative from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had attempted to revive dialogue by scaling back joint military drills with South Korea. North Korea maintained that reducing the drills did not alter their inherently hostile nature.
North Korea has previously stated its willingness to return to diplomacy, provided the U.S. abandons its "hostile" policy and drops demands for denuclearization as a prerequisite for talks. Experts interpret the latest submarine-launched tests as a strategic move to enhance North Korea's leverage in potential negotiations, signaling a firm stance against denuclearization demands and highlighting its expanding nuclear capabilities across different domains.