A North Korean launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine appears to have failed, Yonhap News reported, underscoring the technological limitations of the isolated nation’s weapons program.<br />The launch was made around 2:30 p.m. local time Saturday in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, with debris in the water indicating it failed, Yonhap said, citing an unidentified South Korean government official.<br />South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok declined to confirm the report.<br />The attempt, if confirmed, signals that North Korea is determined to advance its military capabilities following another launch earlier this year.<br />South Korea downplayed that test, saying the Kim Jong Un regime is likely years away from having a submarine-launched ballistic missile.<br />The nation has often ratcheted up tensions to seek economic and political concessions from the U.S. and South Korea.
