50 N.Korean Submarines Vanish from Radar

North Korea seems to be stepping up preparations for a military provocation even as ongoing high-level talks seek to avert the worst.

More than 50 North Korean submarines have apparently been sent out on mystery missions, and artillery strength and warfare-readiness along the frontline have been raised to the max, a military source said Sunday.

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“The current sortie rate of North Korean submarines is as high as 10 times the rate in ordinary times,” a military official said. “Scores of subs that have left their bases on the eastern and western coasts are off our radar, which is an unprecedentedly serious situation.”