VOA:
North Korea could soon develop a new submarine that will incorporate ongoing ballistic missile advances being made and increasing the military’s capability to carry out a nuclear strike from the sea.
Pyongyang’s recent successful submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test flew 500 kilometers before falling into the sea inside Japan’s air defense identification zone.
It has raised concerns that the North is also working on a new submarine that can fire multiple ballistic missiles.
“The fact that North Korea is making SLBM means it is making a submarine which can deploy the SLBM, and I think they can make the submarine into a nuclear powered submarine,” said Park Hwee-rhak, a political science professor at Kookmin University.
Developing a submarine with nuclear power would allow it to stay underwater for long periods of time, and to travel longer distances at higher speeds while remaining undetected.
Moon Keun-sik, a defense analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum, said he expects North Korea to build a 3,000-ton submarine with three SLBM launch tubes.
Recent satellite images of the North Korean naval base near Sinpo show a launching way and large construction hall in a secure boat basin, that analysts say could be used to build and launch a new ballistic missile submarine.
Despite the North’s recent progress, the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said it is unlikely that any new SLBM capable vessel would become operational before 2020.
Gorae prototype
The North used a prototype Gorae submarine (Gorae is Korean for whale) for its recent SLBM test. It is diesel powered, can stay submerged for a few hours at a time and has only one launch tube that could fire an intermediate range missile.
The rest of North Korea’s fleet of approximately 70 submarines is older, like the Romeo-class submarines built with 1950s technology, and too small for a ballistic missile launch vessel.
North Korea also claims to have developed the capability to miniaturize a nuclear device to fit on a missile warhead, but it has not yet demonstrated the technology.
South Korea
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday ordered her military to develop effective measures to counter the North’s increasing nuclear and missile capabilities.
