North Korea test fires submarine missile

North Korea on Tuesday fired at least one missile likely designed for submarine launches from the eastern port of Sinpo, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said his country’s initial analysis detected two ballistic missiles from the waters near the eastern port of Sinpo. North Korea last fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in 2019.

What is North Korea doing? This marks its fifth round of firing since September as it tries to pressure the United States to end sanctions over the country’s nuclear program. The launch came hours after Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative on North Korea, extended a new appeal for diplomatic talks with the country. Talks between the two nations broke down in 2019, when former President Donald Trump rejected the North’s demand for sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility. Security officials from the United States, South Korea, and Japan are meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss the stalemate.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Angela Lu Fulton’s report on pastors and activists who launch balloons carrying information and Bibles into North Korea.