N. Korea says fired ‘new’ sub-launched missile

North Korea successfully test-fired a “new-type” of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, state media reported yesterday, after Washington voiced alarm at the move just days before the planned resumption of stalled nuclear talks.

Nuclear-armed Pyongyang frequently couples diplomatic overtures with military moves as a way of maintaining pressure on negotiating partners, analysts say, and may believe this weapons system gives it added leverage.

A proven subma - rine-based missile capability would take the North’s arsenal to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and a second-strike capability in the event of an attack on its military bases.