N. Korea hails what it calls successful missile test from submarine

Kim, who observed the test, noted with "great satisfaction" that the country has obtained "one more means" to attack South Korea and the United States with nuclear arms, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
KCNA did not say when Kim oversaw the missile test, but the report likely referred to a ballistic missile launch from a submarine detected Saturday by the South Korean and U.S. militaries.
A South Korean military source has said the projectile flew about 30 kilometers from a submarine off Sinpo in the eastern part of North Korea but that the launch itself was a failure.
The test-firing was conducted to confirm factors such as "the stability of the underwater ballistic launching system in the maximum depth of waters" and "the vertical flight system of the ballistic missile powered by the newly developed high power solid fuel engine," KCNA said, adding that the outcome "perfectly met all technical requirements."
North Korea has also claimed in the past to have successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead and is more difficult to detect in advance.
North Korean success in making a submarine-launched ballistic missile operational would increase the security threat to North Korea's neighboring countries and the United States.
But many military experts believe that North Korea still has a long way to go to make the missile delivery system fully functional.
North Korea has been ratcheting up tensions in recent weeks, despite being under the toughest-ever international sanctions for its fourth nuclear test in January and a rocket launch in February.
North Korea's series of provocative shows of force is seen by outside observers as aimed at bolstering leader Kim's domestic legitimacy ahead of a rare ruling party congress to be held early next month.
Source: Kyodo