A North Korean missile fired Wednesday exploded „within seconds of launch,“ according to US Pacific Command.
US officials confirmed North Korea had attempted to launch a missile near Kalma, on the country’s east coast, but early reports suggest it failed.
„South Korea and the US are aware of the missile launch and to their knowledge North Korea’s missile was not successfully launched,“ South Korea’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Neither the US nor South Korea have released information on what type of missile was fired, or why it failed. The US Pacific Command said it was working with partners to assess it further.
At a daily press briefing Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying again called on all parties on the Korean Peninsula, including South Korea and the United States, to „exercise restraint. “
„The current situation on the peninsula is extremely tense — ‚everyone with his dagger drawn‘ would be a fair description,“ she said.
The attempted launch comes four days after the North Korea announced it had tested a new rocket engine, describing it as a „great leap forward“ in their missile program.
US defense officials told CNN the engine could be used for a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea’s ’signal‘ to the South
Against the background of the launch, South Korea and the United States continued their annual „Foal Eagle“ military exercises, which often provoke retaliation from the North Koreans. The „Foal Eagle“ exercises began on March 1 and will end on April 30.
Robert Kelly, associate professor of political science at Pusan National University, told CNN the latest launch was a „signal“ to South Korea from their northern neighbor.
„The North Koreans respond to (the drills) almost every year with some kind of outlash or provocation or something like that,“ he said.
