New missile-armed submarine may be launched by North Korea: Report

North Korea may be preparing to launch a new submarine believed to be capable of firing ballistic missiles, a US-based think tank reported on Thursday, citing commercial satellite imagery.

Images of the Sinpo South Shipyard — situated on the east coast of the country — from September 18 revealed six barges and vessels gathered around the construction hall quay, said 38 North, which monitors North Korea.

"While barges and a dry dock have been occasionally observed around the submarine launch quay at the main construction hall, the presence of six vessels and barges in this area has not been observed before," said the report, which concluded that the activity suggests preparations to launch a submarine.

The report comes as US President Joe Biden accused North Korea of "blatantly violating UN sanctions", in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, citing the country as among the reasons to strengthen international nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

Analysts had first spotted signs that at least one new submarine was being built in 2016, after which, in 2019, state media showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a previously-unreported submarine that was built under "his special attention", and that would be operational in the waters off the east coast.

State media at the time did not describe the submarine's weapons systems, or say when and where the inspection took place, but analysts said that the apparent size of the new vessel indicated that it was designed to carry missiles.

North Korea has a large submarine fleet, but only one known experimental submarine capable of carrying a ballistic missile.

Analysts have debated whether the apparent new missile submarine is a new design, or whether it is based on a modified Romeo Class of submarine originally acquired from China in the 1970s before North Korea began producing them domestically.

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