Party popper pooped: North Korea birthday tribute missile test ends in failure

North Korea attempted to launch an intermediate range ballistic missile off the country’s east coast on Friday but the launch failed. Its latest test on a Musudan missile with a range of more than 3,000km was supposed to be a celebration of state founder Kim Il-sung’s birthday. But military analysts monitoring from the South said the missile lifted off but deviated from its expected trajectory. “North Korea seems to have tried a missile launch from the East Sea area in the early morning today, but it is presumed to have failed,” the joint chiefs of staff reported.

We call again on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations.

US military official

The failed test comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean pensinsula, where the North carried out its fourth test on a nuclear weapon in January. The South Korean military had detected the North deploying one or two Musudan missiles near the east coastal city of Wonsan in the weeks leading up to Friday’s launch. With a range of up to 4,000km, the Musudan missile can fly over South Korea and Japan to reach as far as Guam, where U.S. military forces are stationed. Although this test failed, reports suggest the North could have 50 more Musudans, also known as BM-25s.

We are preparing against the possibility that the North could carry out heavyweight provocations at any time, including the fifth nuclear test,

South Korean military official

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