(VOVWORLD) - North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, pulling Japan's new prime minister off the campaign trail and overshadowing the opening of a major arms fair in Seoul.
South Korean and US officials were investigating if the missile was a smaller, previously unseen version displayed last week at an exhibit in Pyongyang, a South Korean military source told Reuters, citing ongoing analysis.
They were also examining whether the missile was fired from North Korea's experimental Gorae-class submarine, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The launch, reported by officials in South Korea and Japan, came after US and South Korean envoys met in Washington on Monday to discuss the nuclear standoff with the North.