

NOORD-KOREA
N.-Korea’s nieuwe submarine-launched ballistische raket
October 3, 2019 -
Noord-Korea heeft als test een nieuw type onderzees gelanceerde
ballistische raket (SLBM) afgevuurd – de meest provocatieve raketlancering van Pyongyang sinds de hervatting in 2018 van de dialoog met de VS.
South Korea’s military said the missile, called Pukguksong-3, flew 450km and reached an altitude of 910km. It flew on a southeasterly trajectory, landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
If launched on a normal trajectory, the missile would have a maximum range capability of some 1,900km.
North Korea had been developing SLBM technology before it suspended long-range missile and nuclear tests and began talks with the United States that led to the first summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore in June 2018.
North Korea still has one seaworthy ballistic missile submarine, the Sinpo-class submarine, also called the Gorae. Another submarine –apparently based on a modification of one of Pyongyang’s older Romeo-class diesel-electric submarines – was revealed earlier this summer to be undergoing refurbishment and modification to serve a ballistic missile launch role.
Talks aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes have been stalled since a second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February broke down in disagreement over nuclear disarmament.
North Korea fired the missile hours after announcing it would resume talks with the United States by holding working-level negotiations on Oct 5.