A North Korean launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine appears to have failed, Yonhap News reported, underscoring the technological limitations of the isolated nation’s weapons program.
The launch was made around 2:30 p.m. local time Saturday in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, with debris in the water indicating it failed, Yonhap said, citing an unidentified South Korean government official.
South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok declined to confirm the report.
The attempt, if confirmed, signals that North Korea is determined to advance its military capabilities following another launch earlier this year.
South Korea downplayed that test, saying the Kim Jong Un regime is likely years away from having a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
The nation has often ratcheted up tensions to seek economic and political concessions from the U.S. and South Korea.
