North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’ but launch fails, says South

North Korea fired an “unknown projectile” that appeared to misfire immediately after launch, the South Korean military said.

The suspected missile was fired from an airfield outside the capital Pyongyang.

The airfield has been the site of several launches, including previous tests of what the United States alleges were intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

It comes as North Korea has stepped up its weapons tests in recent weeks.

“North Korea fired an unknown projectile from the Sunan area at around 9:30 a.m. today, but it is presumed to have missed immediately after launch,” the Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The specialized news site NK News quoted witnesses as saying they heard loud “puffing” sounds, similar to those of a large plane, being heard in Pyongyang, followed by a loud “crash”. He added that he had seen an image showing a ball of smoke tinted red in the sky over the capital.

Speaking to NK News, Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said this picture was consistent with that of a “catastrophic failure.” He added that the “reddish-orange smoke” is associated with liquid fuel, something that is “very toxic” to humans.

North Korea has so far carried out nine weapons tests this year, including what the United States says were tests of parts of a new ICBM, saying they were likely experimental launches ahead of a likely ICBM launch. full range.

With a minimum range of 5,500 km (3,417 miles), ICBMs can reach the US. They are designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

The UN prohibits North Korea from testing nuclear and ballistic weapons, and has imposed strict sanctions.

The North had put a moratorium on long-range ballistic missile tests and nuclear tests after talks with then-US President Donald Trump. But in 2020, Kim announced that he was no longer bound by this promise.

However, Pyongyang has maintained that the launches on February 26 and March 4 focused on the development of a reconnaissance satellite.

Each release helps scientists learn what works and what doesn’t. But this is a big year for Kim Jong Un. It is the tenth year in charge of him, he will want success, not failure.

Also, as one expert pointed out, at what point did this launch fail?

It was launched at the country’s main airport, Sunan. Any major explosion near the ground could damage the airport.

And any explosions higher up could risk debris falling into populated areas. We’ll know more after further analysis by the US and South Korean defense ministries.

Either way, this failure is unlikely to deter North Korea. Kim Jong Un has a wish list of weapons: he will go ahead.