North Korea's ballistic missile launch failed

North Korea launched a ballistic missile this morning but it exploded just seconds after takeoff.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: Internet

"North Korea fired an unidentified missile from a location in the vicinity of Bukchang, South Pyeongan Province, toward the northeast at around 5:30 a.m. early today," Yonhap quoted a statement from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying. "It was determined to have failed."

The missile did not leave North Korean territory, said Dave Benham, a US Navy spokesman. The US military determined the main part of the missile fell about 35 km from Bukchang airfield, CNN quoted a US official as saying.

The type launched could be a KN-17 intermediate-range ballistic missile, according to US officials. The KN-17 is a solid-fuel missile, launched from a mobile launcher.

White House officials said President Donald Trump was informed as Air Force One returned to Maryland from Atlanta.

This is the ninth missile launch by North Korea since Mr. Trump took office in January. Some missiles landed in the Sea of ​​Japan, but today's launch did not.

The launch came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addressed a special meeting at the United Nations, calling for increased pressure on North Korea. "All options for responding to future provocations must be on the table," Tillerson said.

According to VNE