Updated Oct 19, 2021 - World

North Korea claims latest missile test new weapon launched from submarine

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A missile North Korean state media claims the country's military fired on Tuesday. — North Korean state media claims the country's military fired this missile on Tuesday. Photo: Korean Central News Agency

North Korean state media announced that a detected ballistic missile launch off its east coast on Tuesday was a newly developed weapon test-fired from a submarine.

Why it matters: Pyongyang's latest in a series of recent missile launches into the sea happened hours after U.S. officials emphasized their commitment to restart negotiations on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, which have stalled since talks broke down during the Trump administration, AP notes.

Sung Kim, President Biden's special envoy for North Korea, is due to hold meetings with U.S. allies in South Korean capital Seoul on the matter this week.

Details: Wednesday's claims by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) fit with detections by South Korean officials of a missile launch about 10:17am on Tuesday local time "from the vicinity of Sinpo," a North Korean test site for submarine-launched missiles, per Reuters.

KCNA claimed "the new-type submarine-launched ballistic missile, which introduced many developed controlling and homing technologies ... will make a great contribution to further developing the defense technology of the country and improving the underwater operation capacity of the navy."

What they're saying: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the launches "underscore the urgent need for dialogue and diplomacy."

"Our offer remains to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions," Psaki added.

Of note: The detected launch also forced Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to stop campaigning for the country's Oct. 31 general election and cast a shadow over a "major arms fair" in Seoul, Reuters notes.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from KCNA and Psaki.

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North Korea claims latest missile test new weapon launched from submarine

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