By Rachel Lee
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday, but the test apparently failed, officials here said Sunday.
The launch of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), KN-11, reportedly took place in the East Sea between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, less than three weeks after North Korea declared a no-sail zone in the sea.
"There is no evidence of the missile taking flight, and only debris from its cover was found, so it is highly likely that the launch was a failure," a government official said.
In May, North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired an SLBM underwater, which fueled alarm in South Korea and the U.S. about the North's military capabilities.
"North Korea has spent a long time developing the SLBM, but the misfire shows it still has a long way to go," the official said. "It needs a considerable amount of time to perfect a missile."
But a defense industry expert said the launch was part of the "normal" testing procedure, so it should not necessarily be regarded as a failure.
"We expect that North Korea will carry out this type of ejection test a dozen times," said Moon Keun-sik, a director at the Korea Defense and Security Forum.
The North declared a no-sail zone off its eastern coastal city of Wonsan earlier this month, effective until Dec. 7.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who oversaw the test, hailed the SLBM as a "world-level strategic weapon," according to a report from North's Korea Central News Agency.
North Korea is under U.N. sanctions banning it from developing or using ballistic missile technology.
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday, but the test apparently failed, officials here said Sunday.
The launch of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), KN-11, reportedly took place in the East Sea between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, less than three weeks after North Korea declared a no-sail zone in the sea.
"There is no evidence of the missile taking flight, and only debris from its cover was found, so it is highly likely that the launch was a failure," a government official said.
In May, North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired an SLBM underwater, which fueled alarm in South Korea and the U.S. about the North's military capabilities.
"North Korea has spent a long time developing the SLBM, but the misfire shows it still has a long way to go," the official said. "It needs a considerable amount of time to perfect a missile."
But a defense industry expert said the launch was part of the "normal" testing procedure, so it should not necessarily be regarded as a failure.
"We expect that North Korea will carry out this type of ejection test a dozen times," said Moon Keun-sik, a director at the Korea Defense and Security Forum.
The North declared a no-sail zone off its eastern coastal city of Wonsan earlier this month, effective until Dec. 7.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who oversaw the test, hailed the SLBM as a "world-level strategic weapon," according to a report from North's Korea Central News Agency.
North Korea is under U.N. sanctions banning it from developing or using ballistic missile technology.
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