North Korea's pursuit of submarine-based nuclear forces is a defensive response to US military pressure

North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, covering its nuclear and missile programmes and the tests and facility developments that neighbouring states and international monitors track.

North Korea reported testing two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on 14 October. South Korea said it tracked the launches and assessed that different launch systems were used. The tests advanced Pyongyang's naval ambitions without demonstrating a fully operational submarine-based nuclear deterrent.