S. KOREA’S SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF SLBM

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea became only the seventh nation in the world to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile from underwater and hit the target. President Moon Jae-in who observed the test launch in person said that South Korea’s missile power will be a sure deterrent against North Korea’s provocation.

[Pkg]

​A ballistic missile blasts out of the calm sea. It flew south for quite a while before hitting the target. The underwater launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile was a resounding success. The ballistic missile as well as the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho where the missile was fired from were developed with home grown technology. They were delivered to the South Korean Navy last month.

[Soundbite] Moon Jae-in(President) : "Is this the ROKS Ahn Chang-ho? (Yes, this is Captain Kim Hyeong-jun of the ROKS Ahn Chang-ho.) It is amazing for the SLBM to accurately hit the target despite unfavorable weather conditions."

It is hard to predict when or where an SLBM will be coming from since it is difficult to track a submarine moving underwater. This is why it is called a tactical game-changer that could turn the tide in the battlefield. South Korea became the seventh nation in the world to succeed in launching an SLBM from a submarine, following the U.S., Russia, China, the UK, France and India. President Moon Jae-in said that South Korea developed SLBMs as part of long term plans to build up military capabilities, not as a response to North Korea’s provocation. Nevertheless, he emphasized that strengthened missile capacity could become a sure deterrent against the regime's provocation. The SLBM launch tests from a submarine will be conducted a few more times before the missiles are deployed in accordance with the military strategy plan.