South Korea successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Wednesday, becoming the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a system as it aims to better counter North Korea’s growing threats.

South Korea’s missile test came the same day as North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles off its east coast, breaching U.N. sanctions and ratcheting up regional tensions just days after testing a cruise missile with possible nuclear capabilities.

President Moon Jae-in attended an underwater ejection test of the SLBM aboard the new 3,000 ton class Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine commissioned last month, his office said.

The test would make South Korea the first country to launch it without nuclear weapons, which are typically used to arm SLBMs, following the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and India.

North Korea has unveiled a series of its own SLBMs in recent years, and is building an operational submarine to deploy them, Seoul officials have said.

Possessing a SLBM has significant meaning in securing deterrence against omnidirectional threats, and it is expected to play a key role in building self-defence capability and peace on the Korean peninsula, Mr. Moon’s office said in a statement.


North launches two ballistic missiles

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, two days after the North claimed to have tested a new missile in its first weapons test in six months.

Seoul said missiles launched by North Korea were ballistic, Japan says they landed outside Japanese economic waters. No ships or aircraft reported damage, the Coast Guard said.

The statement said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing more details about the North Korean launches. It said South Korea has boosted its anti-North Korea surveillance posture