South Korea's Defence Ministry says a suspected powerful mid-range North Korean missile has crashed seconds after liftoff.
If confirmed to be the same type of missile, Thursday's launch is the second such failure in recent weeks.
It's particularly embarrassing as it comes before a major ruling party meeting next week in Pyongyang.
A Defence Ministry official says the launch was likely the second attempt for the inaugural test of a Musudan, a new, powerful mid-range missile that could one day be capable of reaching far-off US military bases in Asia and the Pacific. It exploded in the air a few seconds after liftoff.
The launch comes as the Koreas trade threats amid Pyongyang's anger over annual South Korean-US military drills that North Korea calls a rehearsal for an invasion.
