SEOUL -- North Korea claimed on Wednesday that it had successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday, flexing its military muscles at a time when South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are discussing ways to pressure Pyongyang to come to dialogue.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the new missile has many advanced technologies, including pullup movement -- an irregular maneuver designed to avoid interception. It is the second time that Pyongyang has tested an SLBM from a submarine, having previously done so five years ago.
"The Military Science Institute reported its pride and honor to the party that it tested a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile successfully again," said KCNA. "The institute announced that the new SLBM will contribute to the country's military technology advancement as well as our Navy's operations under the sea."
The launch came as high-ranking officials of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met in Washington to discuss how to make the North come to the table for denuclearization talks. Sung Kim, the United States' special representative for North Korea, will go to South Korea over the weekend to meet Seoul officials over the issue.
The United Nations Security Council said it would hold a closed-door meeting on Wednesday. The council did not disclose what it would discuss, but analysts said the talks would involve Pyongyang's violation of a resolution that bans North Korea from firing ballistic missiles.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency said North Korea's new missile -- shown here being test-launched in an undated photo released on Oct. 19 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency -- has many advanced technologies. © Reuters Analysts said the international community needs to show what costs the North would pay if it continued to violate the resolution.
"Boilerplate statements about diplomacy will lose credibility if not backed up by trilateral defense cooperation and tightening economic sanctions that demonstrate costs to the Kim regime," said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"Representatives of South Korea, Japan and the United States are prudently meeting often to coordinate policy. But the envoys have thus far been unconvincing about why North Korea should return to negotiations or why Pyongyang's provocations call for an end-of-war declaration."