Dictator humiliated as latest missile lasts just five seconds

KIM Jong-un became the “world’s laughing stock” when his latest missile exploded five seconds after being launched.

The North Korean dictator had hoped the long-range weapon would be “a game-changer”.

But it proved to be an embarrassing flop.

The missile test came just hours after the country celebrated the 105th anniversary of the birthday of Kim Il-sung, the nation’s founder.

A huge military parade in capital Pyongyang flaunted the country’s latest military hardware.

This included previously unseen warheads and the long-rang intercontinental missile which was ® used in the test. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former chair of Parliament’s intelligence committee, yesterday claimed a US cyber attack may have caused it to fail. He said: “It could have failed because the system is not competent enough to make it work. But there is a very strong belief that the US through cyber methods has been successful on several occasions in interrupting these sorts of tests and making them fail.” The South Korean defence ministry said: “North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from its eastern port of Sinpo”. It added that the launch had “failed”. Experts had predicted North Korea would carry out a nuclear test at the weekend.

Satellite photos had showed a hive of activity at the country’s main nuclear test site. Last night defence experts said the test could still go ahead within the next fortnight.

A top US security adviser yesterday said China and America are working on a “range of options” on North Korea.

Lt Gen HR McMaster said the countries agreed this was a “situation that just can’t continue”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: “I strongly condemn the latest North Korean missile launch. They must stop these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions.”