North Korea is building two new submarines, one of which is capable of carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles, a South Korean official told Reuters Tuesday.
“One is a modified Romeo Class and the other is a new medium-large size one,” Ha Tae-Keung, a member of the South Korean parliament’s intelligence committee, told the news wire.
North Korean state media showed the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, inspecting a new submarine as early as June of last year, according to Reuters. Information on the vessel’s weapons system was not shared, but analysts said the size of it indicated it was meant to carry missiles.
North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been the source of much international discord, with various sanctions from the United Nations Security Council since 2006. Kim has met with President Trump to discuss the matter multiple times, but progress on de-weaponizing the country has stalled as Pyongyang has demanded an end to the sanctions.
In an October military parade, North Korea demonstrated 76 missiles across nine different formats, including long-range weapons, Reuters reported.
Kim fell out of public view for an extended period of time earlier this year, causing many to speculate that his health had deteriorated. South Korean intelligence now says that there is no sign that Kim has any issues with his health.