North Korea Tests Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles Amid Stalled Diplomacy

North Korea said on Thursday that it had test-fired cruise missiles designed to be launched from submarines, in a continued effort to expand its military capabilities while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remains stalled.

State media reported that the military tested two types of these missiles in the country’s eastern waters on Wednesday. The report described the weapons as “strategic,” a term North Korea often uses to imply the capability to carry nuclear warheads. However, it did not specify whether the missiles were launched from an actual submarine or an underwater test platform.

According to the state media, the tests were aimed at assessing the readiness of North Korea’s underwater combat systems, improving the Navy’s ability to carry out strategic missions, and demonstrating the reliability of its nuclear deterrent. The South Korean military did not immediately comment on the tests.

These launches extend a recent series of weapons demonstrations by North Korea. On September 20 and October 3, the country tested various hypersonic missile systems, which it said were intended to advance its arsenal of weapons designed to overwhelm missile defences in South Korea and Japan. In recent weeks, North Korea has also conducted live-fire drills and commissioned a new warship.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has continued to advance his nuclear weapons programme while rejecting offers from the United States and South Korea to resume long-stalled diplomacy. In recent years, Mr. Kim has halted all diplomacy and cooperation with South Korea, describing it as a “permanent enemy,” amid a year-long stalemate in larger nuclear negotiations with Washington.

He has so far rebuffed calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to revive their diplomacy, which broke down in 2019. His government has called for Washington to abandon its “hostile” policy toward Pyongyang and to drop demands for North Korea’s denuclearisation as a precondition for talks.

The diplomatic freeze has persisted despite international efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table. The United States has maintained that it is open to dialogue without preconditions, but North Korea has insisted that the U.S. must first change its stance.

North Korea’s missile tests are closely monitored by South Korea, Japan, and the United States. The tests often raise tensions in the region, as they are seen as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from developing ballistic missile technology. However, cruise missiles are not explicitly banned by those resolutions.

Analysts say the tests are a way for North Korea to improve its military capabilities and increase its leverage in any future negotiations. The country has conducted multiple missile tests this year, underscoring its determination to advance its weapons programme despite international sanctions.

The South Korean military said it was monitoring the situation in coordination with the United States. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Washington was aware of the reports and was consulting with allies.

North Korea’s state media did not provide further details about the missiles, such as their range or flight time. The tests come as North Korea prepares to mark the anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party, an occasion often marked by military demonstrations.

China, North Korea’s closest ally, has called for calm and restraint, urging all parties to return to dialogue. The United Nations has not yet commented on the latest tests.

As North Korea continues to develop its military capabilities, the prospect of resuming diplomacy remains uncertain. The Biden administration has said it is willing to meet North Korean officials anywhere, at any time, without preconditions. However, North Korea has not responded positively to these overtures.

The international community remains divided on how to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes. While the United States and its allies favour sanctions and pressure, China and Russia have called for easing sanctions to encourage dialogue.

In the meantime, North Korea’s weapons tests serve as a reminder of the challenges facing efforts to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. The country’s leaders have shown no signs of giving up their nuclear arsenal, which they view as essential to their survival.