[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 24th, it was reported that our military detected North Korea preparing to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in the Sinpo area of South Hamgyong Province.
There is an analysis that the launch could be a retaliatory measure in response to the arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) at the Busan operational base the previous day and the joint South Korea-U.S. exercises being conducted.
Sinpo is equipped with facilities for the production, development, and testing of submarines and SLBMs, and there is also a ground test launch site nearby. Recently, the North Korea specialist media 38 North suggested, based on commercial satellite images, that six vessels including barges have gathered around the Sinpo shipyard, raising the possibility that a new submarine is being prepared for launching.
Earlier, on the 23rd (local time), Lee Jae-myung, deputy spokesperson of the Presidential Office, disclosed that President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired a security situation briefing on board Air Force One upon returning from a 5-night, 7-day tour of the UK, the U.S., Canada, and other countries, during which signs and movements of North Korea's provocations, including SLBMs, were identified. It is unusual for the Presidential Office to proactively disclose signs of North Korean provocations.
The military plans to conduct joint naval exercises in the East Sea with the USS Ronald Reagan, which docked in Busan, at the end of this month. The exercises will also include the nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis (SSN-760, 6,000 tons class).
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