South Korea launches its first ballistic missile from submarine

Showing its military prowess in east Asia, South Korea on Wednesday successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the face of the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.

The submarine-based missile launch, which defence ministry officials said “accurately hit the target”, came just hours after North Korea fired twin ballistic missiles off its east coast, raising concerns in Japan and South Korea and highlighting the simmering nuclear threats in the region.

With this successful missile launch, South Korea has become the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a system, joining the ranks of the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and India with its home-grown technology.