N. Korea Test-Fires Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed that North Korea test-fired a couple of cruise missiles over the weekend, which the South Korean military said were launched from the area near a submarine shipyard in Sinpo. It was not immediately clear if the projectiles were actually fired from a submarine.

• This was the second launch of the new Pulhwasal-3-31 missiles, with Pyongyang revealing that they are submarine-launched. The country's leader Kim Jong-un said that "the nuclear weaponisation of the navy is an urgent task of the times".
• Yonhap News Agency reminds that North Korea has been trying to diversity missile launch platforms to increase its capacilities to stage a surprise attack and evade the South's missile defence systems.
• North Korea's foreign policy has become increasingly hawkish over the past couple of years. This culminated in the recent decision to abandon efforts towards Korean unification and designate the South as chief enemy.