The Sinpo class submarine, also called the Gorae or Pongdae class, is a new class of submarine produced in North Korea. Only one submarine has been observed in service. It is the largest submarine designed and built for the Korean People's Navy.
Design and features
The design may be influenced by older Yugoslavian designs such as Heroj and Sava. There has been speculation the design is influenced by modern Russian submarines of Kilo class, or Golf class submarine, but the submarine is significantly smaller than these designs. Despite being possibly less advanced and capable than western or South Korean vessels, they could still represent a significant step forward by the submarine fleet of the Korean People's Navy. If the design is successful, the Sinpo class could replace the aging Romeo-class submarines. However it is possibly a one-off experimental submarine as the Korean People's Navy has built previously.
Armaments
Satellite images suggest the presence of an opening on the conning tower indicating the presence of a launch tube for one or two missiles. In August 2016, during the annual joint US-South Korea military exercise, a submarine presumed to be this one launched what is believed to be a KN-11ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan. North Korea's first released pictures of the submarine associated it with the test of the KN-11 missile.
South Korean media has suggested that North Korea managed to reverse-engineer or modify one of the old Golf-II hulls that North Korea imported in the early 1990s. However, other western analyst source disagree with the Golf-II conversion theory.
Sinpo-C
In September 2016 analysts at 38 North reported on a 10-metre diameter object detected on satellite images of North Korea's Sinpo South Shipyard, believing the object may be a construction jig or possibly a pressure hull of a new submarine. US intelligence detected new submarine being built at Sinpo which was considered a likely successor to Sinpo-B and labelled it Sinpo-C with an estimated submerged mass of over 2,000 tons and with an 11 metres beam. 38 North also detected signs of submarine being built and reported Satellite imagery from 5 November 2017 indicates a diameter of 7.1 metres. Tokyo Shimbun reported in September 2017, that new North Korean submarine in construction to weigh 3000 tons and have Air-independent propulsion. Also in September 2017, Sekai Nippo too reported on 3000 ton submarine and added it is nuclear powered. Also, the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine and the SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine were built in the Sinpo South shipyard. Chosun Ilbo reported on April 5 of 2019 that 3000 ton ballistic missile submarine is being built at Sinpo. Satellite images of Sinpo shipyard from March and April 2019 indicate that submarine construction is still ongoing.
