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N. Korea shows off ballistic missile models at flower exhibition

October 13, 2015

North Korea displays a model of a submarine-launched ballistic missile at a flower exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in this photo captured from footage by the state-run Korean Central Television on Oct. 13, 2015. (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — North Korea has displayed a model of a submarine-launched ballistic missile at a flower exhibition to celebrate its key anniversary, Pyongyang’s state broadcast showed Tuesday.

Unlike earlier expectations, the North did not showcase the SLBM, which it claimed it successfully fired off in May at its military parade Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

But Pyongyang made the SLBM model public at the exhibition displaying flowers named after the North’s founder Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, the late father of the North’s leader Kim Jong-un, according to footage shown by the state-run Korean Central Television.

If confirmed, the North’s success of the missile launch could serve as a fresh threat to security on the Korean Peninsula as it is difficult to detect sources of ballistic missiles launched underwater.

North Korea forwent provocative acts, such as a long-range rocket launch, before the anniversary, which the North had threatened to do in recent weeks.

But analysts said that the North may go ahead with a rocket launch within this year as Pyongyang has claimed it has the right to fire off “a series of satellites” for peaceful space development, which experts view as a cover for ballistic missile tests.