North Korean missile launch fails after show of strength
SEOUL, South Korea — A North Korean missile exploded during launch today, U.S. and South Korean officials said, a highprofile failure that comes as a powerful U.S. aircraft supercarrier approaches the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.
It was not immediately clear what kind of missile was test-fired from the east coast city of Sinpo. But the failure will sting in Pyongyang, coming a day after one of the biggest North Korean propaganda events of the year— celebrations of the 105th birthday of late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, the current leader’s grandfather. The event included a military parade.
The North’s test firing can be seen as a message of defiance to the Trump administration in Washington, taking place on the day U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence is set to arrive in Seoul for talks on North Korea.
President Donald Trump was quiet about the failed launch. In a statement, U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump and his military team “are aware of North Korea’s most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment.”
Washington and Seoul will try hard to figure out what North Korea fired. While North Korea regularly launches short-range missiles, it is also developing midrange and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.
The ultimate goal is to have a full array of nuclear-tipped missiles in response to what Pyongyang says is hostility from Washington and Seoul meant to topple its government. North Korea is thought to have a small arsenal of atomic bombs and an impressive array of short- and medium-range missiles.
Many outside analysts believe that North Korea has not yet mastered the technology to build warheads small enough to place on long-range missiles, though some civilian experts say North Korea can already build nucleartipped shorter range missiles that have South Korea and Japan within its striking range. The U.S. Pacific Command said today’s missile exploded on launch. South Korea’s Defence Ministry said it was analyzing how the launch failed. Neither military knew what kind of missile was fired.
In Seoul, South Korea’s presidential office convened a national security council meeting.
Tension has increased on the Korean Peninsula in recent months, as the United States and South Korea conduct annual war games that North Korea claims are invasion preparation and the North prepared for Saturday’s anniversary celebrations. A U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, is heading to waters off Korea in a show of force.
Analysts warn that even failed missile launches provide valuable knowledge on North Korea as it tries to build its weapons program. The country launched a long-range rocket and conducted two nuclear tests last year, including its most powerful to date. Aside from improving the technology, North Korean missile and nuclear tests are seen by outside analysts partly as efforts to bolster the domestic image of leader Kim Jong-un and apply political pressure on Seoul and Washington. Kim Jong-un has overseen three nuclear tests and a string of missile and rocket launches since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong-il, in 2011.
Another missile test from Sinpo this month failed when the rocket spun out of control and plunged into the ocean. That launch came shortly before Trump’s first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. China is North Korea’s only major ally.
The extended-range Scud missile in that earlier launch suffered an in-flight failure and fell into the sea off North Korea’s east coast, according to U.S. imagery and assessments.