North Korea Tests Submarine Launched Missiles Ahead of Trump-Kim Talks
North Korea announced it conducted tests of strategic cruise missiles launched from submarines, as Pyongyang showcases its military strength in response to Donald Trump's recent gestures for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
The Wednesday test featured two kinds of projectiles in waters near North Korea’s eastern coast, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The test-fire intended to "enhance the Navy's proficiency in executing its strategic missions," it stated. A few days prior, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles from its eastern coastline.
As Kim increases missile launches — already exceeding last year's total — he has not yet reached the speed seen in 2022, when Russia's extensive invasion of Ukraine paved the way for North Korean arms sales to Moscow.
The latest tests follow Trump's suggestion that he could meet North Korean leader Kim on an impending trip to Asia. Next month, Trump is scheduled to visit the area, where he is anticipated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China.
Earlier this month, Trump met with basketball legend Dennis Rodman, who has visited North Korea several times and built a unique relationship with Kim.
As Trump seeks to renew his diplomatic efforts with Kim, North Korea has intensified tensions in the area. Kim has dismissed South Korea’s attempts to enhance relations and called on Washington to acknowledge it as a rightful nuclear power.
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“North Korea is capitalizing on the US being preoccupied with the conflict in Iran,” stated Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Seoul.
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Pyongyang is improving its capability to transport nuclear weapons via various platforms, including strategic and tactical ballistic missiles, as well as submarine-launched ballistic and cruise missiles.
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Recent tests further indicate Kim’s ongoing commitment to enhance North Korea’s naval strength. North Korea's naval fleet primarily includes smaller ships designated for coastal defense. In September, Kim stated he would carry out plans to enhance the navy and promised to demonstrate that to the world within eight months. He did not clarify what would be disclosed.