North Korea Tests Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles Amid Stalled US Talks

North Korea has test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles off its eastern coast, state media reported on Thursday, October 15, as leader Kim Jong Un continues to expand the country's military capabilities amid stalled diplomatic efforts with the United States and South Korea.

The tests were conducted on Wednesday in waters off North Korea's east coast, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Pyongyang said the exercise was intended to assess the readiness of its underwater combat systems, improve the Navy's ability to carry out strategic missions and demonstrate the reliability of its war deterrent.

One of the missiles tested was identified as the Pulhwasal-3-31, a strategic cruise missile that North Korea had also reported testing from land the previous week. However, the state media report did not provide detailed technical specifications of the weapons.

KCNA said senior military officials observed the tests and claimed the launches had no adverse impact on the security of neighbouring countries. The report did not independently establish whether the missiles were fired from an operational submarine or another underwater platform.

The designation of the weapons as strategic cruise missiles suggests they are intended to have a nuclear role, although North Korea did not confirm that the missiles carried nuclear warheads during the tests.

The latest launches form part of Pyongyang's broader efforts to develop a sea-based nuclear deterrent alongside its ballistic missile and cruise missile programmes. Kim has made strengthening naval capabilities a key military priority, including the development of modern missile submarines.

However, analysts have questioned whether North Korea has demonstrated the full operational capabilities of a modern missile submarine. The country unveiled a submarine designed to carry strategic weapons in 2023, but its ability to deploy such a vessel effectively remains a key issue.

The tests come amid a prolonged freeze in diplomatic engagement between North Korea and Washington, with negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear programme stalled since 2019. Relations between the two Koreas have also deteriorated amid military tensions and competing weapons development.