North Korea Fires Two Cruise Missile Types From One Submarine: A New Step Underwater
North Korea fired two different types of cruise missiles from a submarine in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on 14 October. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), one missile launched vertically while the other fired through a torpedo tube. It was Pyongyang’s first publicly reported underwater missile test since January 2024, marking a new step in its effort to expand sea-based deterrence.
Two launch methods, one submarine
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said the test was conducted by the country’s Missile Administration but did not name the missiles or disclose technical specifications. South Korean analysts assess the launches came from the Hero Kim Kun Ok, a modified diesel-powered submarine unveiled in September 2023, though Pyongyang has not officially confirmed the platform. Imagery from the submarine’s unveiling showed at least ten missile-launch openings in addition to its torpedo tubes.
Yonhap, citing South Korean assessments, reported the vertical launch likely used one of the submarine’s smaller vertical-launch tubes. Demonstrating two distinct launch methods from a single boat in the same exercise points to greater per-vessel firepower flexibility and makes the submarine’s overall loadout harder to assess from outside.
Which missiles were tested?
The missiles’ identities remain unconfirmed. Some analysts suggest one may have been the Pulhwasal-3-31, shown in January 2024, while the other could be a longer-range cruise missile from the Hwasal-2 family. Both assessments are unofficial; KCNA did not release range data for either weapon.
KCNA described the test’s purpose as examining the readiness of underwater combat systems and helping the navy develop strategic mission skills, adding that the launches did not affect neighboring countries. That framing presents the test as a readiness check on existing systems rather than a new-weapon trial.
Why it matters: integration progress, not proven deterrence
Demonstrating two launch methods from the same submarine is technically notable: vertical launch can enable larger salvos and shorter warning times, while torpedo-tube launch preserves compatibility with existing infrastructure. But this is distinct from a field-proven underwater deterrent. Long-duration patrol endurance, repeated submerged launches, salvo capacity, missile inventory size and the submarine’s survivability all remain unproven.
The test’s timing is not disentangled from context. North Korea’s leadership conducted it shortly after Pyongyang claimed an AI-assisted launch of an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, and in the same window South Korea conducted the first test launch of its own indigenous hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). The back-and-forth testing between the two Koreas shows the arms competition spreading simultaneously into undersea and hypersonic domains.
The submarine-launched cruise missile program’s trajectory
North Korea first announced firing two strategic cruise missiles from the submarine “8.24 Yongung” in 2023; KCNA said at the time the missiles flew figure-eight patterns for roughly 7,563-7,575 seconds at a range of 1,500 km. In January 2024, cruise missiles designed for submarine launch were tested under Kim Jong Un’s supervision, with imagery suggesting the missiles may have fired from torpedo launch tubes. The 14 October test sits between those two milestones and is the first to show both launch methods together.
Reading the regional balance
North Korea’s underwater cruise missile capability carries a different risk profile from a conventional ballistic missile threat: cruise missiles flying at low altitude can complicate radar detection. At this stage, though, it remains more a technology demonstration than a proven second-strike capability. For regional actors and their allies, the indicator worth watching is the repeatability of the next test and the accumulation of long-duration underwater patrol data.
Test summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 October 2026 |
| Location | East Sea (Sea of Japan) |
| Platform (assessed) | Hero Kim Kun Ok submarine (unconfirmed officially) |
| Launch methods | 1 vertical-launch tube + 1 torpedo tube |
| Possible missile types | Pulhwasal-3-31 / Hwasal-2 family (unverified analysis) |
| Previous test | January 2024 (cruise missiles designed for submarine launch) |
Sources
- Army Recognition — “North Korea Tests Two Types of Submarine-Launched Strategic Cruise Missiles in the Sea of Japan” (15 October 2026) — used for test details, platform assessment and the KCNA statement.
- report.az — “North Korea tests submarine-launched cruise missiles” — used for test confirmation.
- Defence Blog — “North Korea arms its submarines with new cruise missiles” — used for technical assessment.
- Yonhap (as cited via Army Recognition) — used for launch-method analysis.
Note: No verified, rights-cleared photo of the submarine or missiles involved in this test could be found, so no featured image was used for this article.
