North Korea has confirmed the projectile it tested on Wednesday was a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile.
With Pyeongyang set to restart working-level talks with Washington this weekend,... observers see the act as a move to boost the regime's bargaining power.
Yu Joonhee delves deeper to find out more.
North Korea says it successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
The North's Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that the missile tested on the previous day was a "new type of SLBM" named Pukguksong-3 ( -three).
It added the projectile was launched at a high angle and satisfied key tactical and technical parameters,... but otherwise did not provide further details.
The South Korean military on Wednesday said... what it believes to be an SLBM was launched towards the East Sea, travelling some 450 kilometers,... and reaching a maximum altitude of 910 kilometers.
The launch marks the regime's 11th weapons testing this year,... and the first SLBM launch since late-2016.
Observers see the move as part of Pyeongyang's efforts to maximize pressure on the U.S. ahead of their upcoming working-level talks on Saturday.
"I think the North is betting very big on the upcoming working-level talks. Firing what are seen as submarine-launched missiles is the strongest card the North has within the boundaries. It's just below intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests, which President Trump set as red lines. Thus, the move is seen as a warning to the U.S. that it had better bring 'new calculations' about what it seeks."
North Korea has been repeatedly urging the U.S. to adopt a new approach in their nuclear negotiations.
Many experts see this as a phased denuclearization with corresponding measures being taken by both sides... including sanctions relief and a security guarantee.
While not much is known about the upcoming working-level talks, Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha expects the two sides to discuss security guarantees for the regime.
She said Wednesday that the main purpose of the talks... would be gauging how flexible the two sides are in narrowing their differences.
Yu Joonhee, Arirang News.
