Seoul: North Korea’s submarine program likely backed by Russia

North Korea has likely received technical assistance from Russia in developing its submarine capabilities, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on October 13.

Speaking at a parliamentary Defence Committee hearing, Ahn said Pyongyang appeared to be receiving “various technologies” to advance its submarine program, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

North Korea has pledged to develop submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles and has conducted test launches from submerged platforms. However, Ahn cautioned that it was too early to confirm whether North Korea has successfully launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from an actual submarine.

South Korean intelligence reports indicate that North Korea and Russia have significantly increased military cooperation over the past two years. This includes Pyongyang reportedly deploying over 10,000 troops to Ukraine in exchange for economic and military technology assistance.

By Vugar Khalilov