Kim Jong Un planning nuclear test: North Korea submarine missile launch spooks US, South Korea, Japan

In a world rocked by the Russia-Ukraine war, the threat of North Korea is growing starker. Western powers and allies are now worried that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be planning to conduct a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.

This comes after Pyongyang tested another ballistic missile, which was possibly fired from a submarine this time, according to South Korean officials. The latest weapons test occurred on May 7 from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo. The short range ballistic missile flew 600 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers, as per Seoul.

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On May 6, the US government said that according to its analysis, North Korea may be ready to conduct a nuclear test at its Punggye-Ri site before the month of May ends.

North Korea has conducted 15 missile tests this year. The last submarine missile launch was in October 2021 when it fired a short-range projectile.