SEOUL, South Korea - 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.
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