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New North Korea submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles, South says
- A South Korean official said the North is building two new submarines, including a second one that can carry a submarine-launched ballistic missile
- Kim Jong-un’s vow to unveil new strategic weapons this year led to speculation the North could soon deploy an operational ballistic missile submarine
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North Korea is building two new submarines, including one capable of firing ballistic missiles, a South Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday, following a closed-door briefing by the South’s National Intelligence Service.
North Korea has a large submarine fleet but only one known experimental submarine capable of carrying a ballistic missile.
“One of the submarines North Korea is building can carry a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM),” said Ha Tae-keung, an opposition party lawmaker on parliament’s intelligence committee.
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“One is a modified Romeo Class and the other is a new medium-large size one.”
North Korea has been subject to UN Security Council sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump have met three times since 2018, but failed to make progress on US calls for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and North Korea’s demands for an end to sanctions.
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