New North Korean submarine can carry 3 SLBMs, says South Korea

SEOUL, July 31 (UPI) -- A newly constructed North Korean submarine seems to be capable of carrying three submarine-launched ballistic missiles, South Korea's defense ministry was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

The defense ministry determined that the North's submarine will soon be ready to be deployed, Rep. Lee Hye-hoon, the chief of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters after the ministry's closed-door briefing.

Last week, North Korean state media unveiled photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a new submarine, the deployment of which he says is "near at hand."

The ministry said blurred parts of those photos appear to be the launch tubes of SLBMs.

In 2015 and 2016, North Korea fired several SLBMs to demonstrate the country's missile capability. In August 2016, it test-fired an SLBM off its east coast toward Japan. It flew about 310 miles, making it the longest flight by such a missile.

North Korea imported Soviet-era 1,800-ton Romeo-class submarines in the 1970s. Since then, the country has built and been operating around 70 subs.

The ministry said North Korea has claimed it is constructing a 3,000-ton submarine, but the new sub does not appear to be that.

"There is a possibility that the new sub is slightly larger than a (2,500-ton) Gorae-class submarine," the ministry said, adding that the North may have revamped an old-fashioned Romeo-class submarine.

As for the recent air intrusion by China and Russia, the ministry told lawmakers that they were apparently attempting to keep the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy in check and collect military information about South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Chinese and Russian warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone on July 23. A Russian jet intruded into South Korea's airspace twice on the same day, prompting South Korea's Air Force to fire warning shots.

The ministry believes the air intrusion was intended to test a trilateral cooperation scheme involving Seoul, Washington and Tokyo as it was timed with U.S. National Security Council Advisor John Bolton's visit to Seoul, Lee said.

The ministry revised its earlier analysis of North Korea's missile launch on May 4.

It previously said the North fired multiple projectiles, including a short-range one, which appears to have been a missile. But the government later revised that assessment to two projectiles.

North Korea said at that time it conducted a "strike drill" for multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons to test their performance.

Lee said she thinks North Korea's firing of two short-range ballistic missiles earlier in the day is apparently aimed at increasing their accuracy.

"The missile launch appears to affirm that South Korea is the target of North Korea's threats," she noted.