North Korea’s Submarines Gone from Seoul’s Radar

Fox News reported on Wednesday that more than 50 submarines from North Korea have been sent out this week on a mystery mission, disappearing from South Korea's military sonar amid agreement to reduce tension on Tuesday following a land mine blast at the demilitarized zone on Aug.4.

An article by Reuters on Tuesday noted after days of negotiations at the border village of Panmunjom over the recent explosion, North Korea has voiced out regret. Seoul, on the other hand, has compromised to turn off loudspeakers used for anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts.

On Wednesday, approximately 70 percent of Pyongyang's fleet of submarines has gone undetected on South Korea's radar. South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesman considers the incident an "unprecedented" move pushing the U.S. and Seoul to heighten their military surveillance.

"The number is nearly 10 times the normal level ... we take the situation very seriously," according to defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok.

"It is not clear whether this is a defensive or offensive move; thus it requires continued watchfulness," said Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The missing submarines have reportedly returned to North Korea's naval base, but until the news has been confirmed and all submarines have been accounted for, South Korea will remain on high alert for possible attacks within the peninsula.

"We've said before the disappearance [of North Korean submarines] is a source of concern, and the fact is they are not easy to detect when they are submerged under water," explained Kim. "No one knows whether the North will attack our warships or commercial vessels."

North Korea has also deployed 10 air-cushioned amphibious landing crafts 60 kilometers from the Northern Line in the Yellow Sea just before the two countries have agreed to tone down the tension.

North and South Korea have been at war technically since the 50s, and the agreement that have taken place on weekend has calmed the situation.

"For its own reasons, North Korea built this up, and then for its own reasons ratcheted it down," said John Pollack, who is into Korean study at the Brookings Institute. "I don't understand their threats, but they express them regularly, sometimes against the U.S. and often for things they don't have the capability to do."