Report: North Korea tests ballistic missile

By Will Ripley and Mariano Castillo, CNN
Updated 3:32 PM EDT, Sat May 9, 2015
Kim Jong Un is pictured after what North Korea said was the test firing of a ballistic missile Saturday.
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Story highlights

NEW: U.S. official: Launches using ballistic missile technology violate U.N. resolutions

North Korea said it tested a ballistic missile launched from a submarine

South Korean defense ministry official: North Korea fired 3 ship-to-ship missiles

(CNN) —  

North Korea has carried out a successful underwater test of a ballistic missile, the North Korean state news agency reported.

Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test himself, KCNA reported on Saturday (Friday evening, ET).

A submarine launched the missile at a location far from the North Korean mainland, according to the news agency.

Kim praised the test as a “miraculous achievement” and said his country is capable of producing this type of missile. This missile was a “time bomb which will go off on the backs of our hostile enemies at any time,” he added, the KCNA report said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the test as a "miraculous achievement," according to KCNA.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the test as a "miraculous achievement," according to KCNA.
PHOTO: Rodong Sinmun

Such rhetoric, while alarming on its face, is not unlike Kim’s pronouncements after missile tests in the past.

While declining to talk about any specific “intelligence matters,” a U.S. State Department official said more generally that “launches using ballistic missile technology are a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.”

“We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations,” the official said.

Analyst: Hard to defend submarine missiles with nuclear warheads

North Korea has already allocated a significant portion of its budget to the military, and Saturday’s announcement does not necessarily signify a ramping up of military efforts.

Daniel Pinkston, deputy project director for North East Asia at the International Crisis Group think tank, told CNN that, if authentic, the latest missile test “would be quite significant,” since North Korea has been working on these capabilities for decades.

“If they can deploy an operational submarine that could launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads, it would give them a pretty credible second strike capability, and it’s difficult to defend against. So it would give them the kind of deterrent that they have said they wish to have,” he said.

“Everyone knew they had been working on this. I think actual flight test is sooner than people had expected.”

Anti-ship missiles

Also Saturday, a South Korean defense ministry official said North Korea had fired three ship-to-ship missiles from the sea near North Korea’s eastern city of Wonsan.

No other details were available as of yet, the official said. The missiles were fired in an hour-long window Saturday afternoon local time (between 3:25 and 4:23 a.m. ET.)

The anti-ship missiles are designated KN-01 type by South Korea, and are not in the same category as the submarine-launched ballistic missile reportedly tested by the North. That launch was from a port farther to the north, up the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.

News of the latest missile firings come one day after North Korea threatened to attack, without warning, any South Korean naval ships that entered disputed waters west of the peninsula.

South Korea responded by threatening to retaliate if North Korea carries out any acts of aggression.

Fast facts: North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with North Korea
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with North Korea's first female fighter jet pilots in this undated photo released by the country's state media on Monday, June 22. He called the women "heroes of Korea" and "flowers of the sky."
PHOTO: KCNA/KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim stands on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in North Korea in a photo taken by North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun on April 18 and released the next day by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Kim scaled the country
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim stands on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in North Korea in a photo taken by North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun on April 18 and released the next day by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Kim scaled the country's highest mountain, North Korean state-run media reported, arriving at the summit to tell soldiers that the hike provides mental energy more powerful than nuclear weapons.
PHOTO: KCNA via KNS/afp/getty images
Kim Jong Un, center, poses with soldiers on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in an April 18 photo released by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim Jong Un, center, poses with soldiers on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in an April 18 photo released by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
PHOTO: Rodong Sinmun/YONHAP/AFP/Getty Images
Kim visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birth anniversary of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birth anniversary of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.
PHOTO: KCNA/KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim inspects a drill for seizing an island at an undisclosed location in North Korea in an undated picture released by North Korea
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim inspects a drill for seizing an island at an undisclosed location in North Korea in an undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on February 21.
PHOTO: KCNA/KNS/AFP/Getty Imges
Kim speaks during a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim speaks during a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released February 19 by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
PHOTO: KCNA/XINHUA/LANDOV
A picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing without his cane at an event with military commanders in Pyongyang on Tuesday, November 4. Kim, who recently disappeared from public view for about six weeks, had a cyst removed from his right ankle, a lawmaker told CNN.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing without his cane at an event with military commanders in Pyongyang on Tuesday, November 4. Kim, who recently disappeared from public view for about six weeks, had a cyst removed from his right ankle, a lawmaker told CNN.
PHOTO: KCNA/EPA/LANDOV
Kim is seen walking with a cane in this image released Thursday, October 30, by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim is seen walking with a cane in this image released Thursday, October 30, by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
PHOTO: KCNA
Kim sits in the pilot
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim sits in the pilot's seat of a fighter jet during the inspection.
PHOTO: KCNA/KNS/AFP/Getty Images
This undated photo, released Tuesday, October 14, by the KCNA, shows Kim inspecting a housing complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. International speculation about Kim went into overdrive after he failed to attend events on Friday, October 10, the 65th anniversary of the Workers
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
This undated photo, released Tuesday, October 14, by the KCNA, shows Kim inspecting a housing complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. International speculation about Kim went into overdrive after he failed to attend events on Friday, October 10, the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party. He hadn't been seen in public since he reportedly attended a concert with his wife on September 3.
PHOTO: KCNA /KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA/AFP/Getty Images
A picture released by the KCNA shows Kim and his wife watching a performance by the Moranbong Band on Wednesday, September 3, in Pyongyang.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A picture released by the KCNA shows Kim and his wife watching a performance by the Moranbong Band on Wednesday, September 3, in Pyongyang.
PHOTO: EPA/KCNA /LANDOV
Kim tours a front-line military unit in this image released Wednesday, July 16, by the KCNA.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim tours a front-line military unit in this image released Wednesday, July 16, by the KCNA.
PHOTO: KCNA/EPA/LANDOV
Kim poses for a photo as he oversees a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim poses for a photo as he oversees a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
PHOTO: KCNA/XINHUA/LANDOV
Kim watches a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim watches a tactical rocket-firing drill in June.
PHOTO: KCNA/XINHUA/LANDOV
A North Korean soldier patrols the bank of the Yalu River, which separates the North Korean town of Sinuiju from the Chinese border town of Dandong, on Saturday, April 26.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A North Korean soldier patrols the bank of the Yalu River, which separates the North Korean town of Sinuiju from the Chinese border town of Dandong, on Saturday, April 26.
PHOTO: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)
In this photo released Thursday, April 24, by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim smiles with female soldiers after inspecting a rocket-launching drill at an undisclosed location.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
In this photo released Thursday, April 24, by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim smiles with female soldiers after inspecting a rocket-launching drill at an undisclosed location.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
A picture released Tuesday, March 18, by the KCNA shows Kim attending a shooting practice at a military academy in Pyongyang.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A picture released Tuesday, March 18, by the KCNA shows Kim attending a shooting practice at a military academy in Pyongyang.
PHOTO: KCNA/epa/LANDOV
A North Korean soldier uses binoculars on Thursday, February 6, to look at South Korea from the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A North Korean soldier uses binoculars on Thursday, February 6, to look at South Korea from the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War.
PHOTO: Shin Jun-hee/yonhap/ap
A North Korean soldier kicks a pole along the banks of the Yalu River on Tuesday, February 4.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A North Korean soldier kicks a pole along the banks of the Yalu River on Tuesday, February 4.
PHOTO: JACKY CHEN/reuters/LANDOV
A photo released by the KCNA on Thursday, January 23, shows the North Korean leader inspecting an army unit during a winter drill.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A photo released by the KCNA on Thursday, January 23, shows the North Korean leader inspecting an army unit during a winter drill.
PHOTO: KCNA/epa/LANDOV
Kim inspects the command of an army unit in this undated photo released Sunday, January 12, by the KCNA.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim inspects the command of an army unit in this undated photo released Sunday, January 12, by the KCNA.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim visits an army unit in this undated photo.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim visits an army unit in this undated photo.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim inspects a military factory in this undated picture released by the KCNA in May 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim inspects a military factory in this undated picture released by the KCNA in May 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim visits the Ministry of People
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim visits the Ministry of People's Security in 2013 as part of the country's May Day celebrations.
PHOTO: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images
A North Korean soldier, near Sinuiju, gestures to stop photographers from taking photos in April 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A North Korean soldier, near Sinuiju, gestures to stop photographers from taking photos in April 2013.
PHOTO: HOW HWEE YOUNG/EPA/LANDOV
North Korean soldiers patrol near the Yalu River in April 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
North Korean soldiers patrol near the Yalu River in April 2013.
PHOTO: STR/AFP/Getty Images
Kim is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S."
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S."
PHOTO: The Rodong Sinmun
Kim works during a briefing in this undated photo.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim works during a briefing in this undated photo.
PHOTO: The Rodong Sinmun
In this KCNA photo, Kim inspects naval drills at an undisclosed location on North Korea
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
In this KCNA photo, Kim inspects naval drills at an undisclosed location on North Korea's east coast in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim, with North Korean soldiers, makes his way to an observation post in March 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim, with North Korean soldiers, makes his way to an observation post in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim uses a pair of binoculars to look south from the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment, near South Korea
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim uses a pair of binoculars to look south from the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment, near South Korea's Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim is greeted by a soldier
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim is greeted by a soldier's family as he inspects the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim is surrounded by soldiers during a visit to the Mu Islet Hero Defense Detachment, also near Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim is surrounded by soldiers during a visit to the Mu Islet Hero Defense Detachment, also near Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim arrives at Jangjae Islet by boat to meet with soldiers of the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim arrives at Jangjae Islet by boat to meet with soldiers of the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Soldiers in the North Korean army train at an undisclosed location in March 2013.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Soldiers in the North Korean army train at an undisclosed location in March 2013.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
In a photo released by the official North Korean news agency in December 2012, Kim celebrates a rocket
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
In a photo released by the official North Korean news agency in December 2012, Kim celebrates a rocket's launch with staff from the satellite control center in Pyongyang.
PHOTO: KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim, center, poses in this undated picture released by North Korea
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim, center, poses in this undated picture released by North Korea's official news agency in November 2012.
PHOTO: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images
Kim visits the Rungna People
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
Kim visits the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground, under construction in Pyongyang, in a photo released in July 2012 by the KCNA.
PHOTO: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/GettyImages
A crowd watches as statues of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il are unveiled during a ceremony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A crowd watches as statues of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il are unveiled during a ceremony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
A North Korean soldier stands guard in front of an UNHA III rocket at the Tangachai-ri Space Center in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military
A North Korean soldier stands guard in front of an UNHA III rocket at the Tangachai-ri Space Center in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
In April 2012, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket that broke apart and fell into the sea. Here, the UNHA III rocket is pictured on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
In April 2012, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket that broke apart and fell into the sea. Here, the UNHA III rocket is pictured on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
PHOTO: Scott Clotworthy/CNN
A closer look at the UNHA III rocket on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
A closer look at the UNHA III rocket on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea.
PHOTO: Scott Clotworthy/CNN
A military vehicle participates in a parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
A military vehicle participates in a parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean soldiers relax at the end of an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean soldiers relax at the end of an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
Kim Jong Un applauds as he watches a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
Kim Jong Un applauds as he watches a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
A North Korean soldier stands on a balcony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
A North Korean soldier stands on a balcony in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean soldiers march during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean soldiers march during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
Soldiers board a bus outside a theater in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
Soldiers board a bus outside a theater in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean performers sit below a screen showing images of leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean performers sit below a screen showing images of leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean soldiers salute during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean soldiers salute during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean soldiers listen to a speech during an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean soldiers listen to a speech during an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images
Members of a North Korean military band gather following an official ceremony at the Kim Il Sung stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
Members of a North Korean military band gather following an official ceremony at the Kim Il Sung stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012.
PHOTO: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean military personnel watch a performance in Pyongyang in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
North Korean military personnel watch a performance in Pyongyang in April 2012.
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A North Korean controller is seen along the railway line between the Pyongyang and North Pyongan provinces in April 2012.
Photos: Kim Jong Un y el ejército de Corea del Norte
A North Korean controller is seen along the railway line between the Pyongyang and North Pyongan provinces in April 2012.
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A North Korean military honor guard stands at attention at Pyongyang
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A North Korean military honor guard stands at attention at Pyongyang's airport in May 2001.
PHOTO: STEPHEN SHAVER/AFP/Getty Images

CNN’s Will Ripley reported from Pyongyang and Mariano Castillo wrote in Atlanta. CNN’s KJ Kwon, Greg Botelho, Laura Smith-Spark and Kathy Novak contributed to this report.