By Kim Young-jin
North Korea has cranked up the intensity of its naval drills this year by introducing a new 40-meter submarine, a government source said Wednesday.
“The North is holding naval drills near its bases in the East and West Seas, and have mobilized five to six submarines including a new Songo-class submarine,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
The remark came a day after Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said the military was closely monitoring maritime border areas as the North appeared to have launched seaborne infiltration drills, increasing chances of “various types of limited provocations.”
The drills have included a new 40-meter-long Sango-class submarine in addition to its typical 35-meter version, the source said. The submarines are known to specialize in infiltration and the laying of mines.
Tension along the hotly-contested maritime border remains high after the North sank the Cheonan warship and shelled Yeonpyeong Island in separate attacks last year, killing a total of 50. Seoul has strengthened its firepower and surveillance near the border in response to the provocations.
Defense officials have said an additional fleet of P-3CK anti-submarine surveillance aircraft has been deployed to near the East Sea border to counter potential infiltration by the Northern submarines.
A 300-ton Sango-class submarine provided cover for the midget submarine that sunk the Cheonan in March 2010, a Seoul-led investigation team determined.