North Korean missile launch fails, says US military

Seoul, March 22 : The US military detected a failed North Korean missile launch attempt, with a missile exploding within seconds of its launch, a US military spokesman said.South Korea said the apparent North Korean test launch on Wednesday morning did not go off normally. But the US military statement shed more light on the latest in a series of missile tests by the isolated, nuclear armed state that have raised alarm across the region.
“US Pacific Command detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch attempt … in the vicinity of Kalma,” Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, said in a statement, referring to an air field on North Korea’s east coast.
“A missile appears to have exploded within seconds of launch,” Benham said, adding that work was being carried out on a more detailed assessment.
The South Korean defence ministry said it was also conducting analysis for further details. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the missile may have exploded as it was launched, before reaching an altitude at which it could be detected by South Korean radar. The launch comes as the US envoy for North Korea nuclear programme, Joseph Yun, met his South Korean counterpart in Seoul to discuss a response to the North’s weapons programmes.North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches since the beginning of last year in defiance of UN resolutions. It is believed to be working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States.