South Korea calls North Korea's Submarine Ballistic Missile test 'concerning'

sQuashie 09:59 - 11 May 2015

An image obtained by Yonhap News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pointing at a ballistic missile believed to have been launched from underwater on Saturday.

North Korea's recent test-firing of a ballistic missile from a submarine was "very serious and concerning," South Korea said on Monday.

Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said on Saturday North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, oversaw the test-launch of the missile from an offshore location.

"We urge North Korea to immediately stop developing SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles), which hinder the stability of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia," South Korean defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters on Monday.

He said North Korea still needed time to develop additional equipment in order to make its submarine-launched missile system fully operational.

North Korea's state media often boasts of successful military and space accomplishments, including the launch of a functional communications satellite, which are not independently verified by outside experts.

h/t nbcnews.com