US detects failed North Korean missile test

The US military detected an unsuccessful North Korean test launch of an intermediate ballistic missile near the north-western city of Kusong, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

The Musudan missile has an estimated range of up to 4,000 km (2,500 miles), enough to hit South Korea, Japan and the US territory of Guam.

The test-firing was the latest in a series conducted by North Korea in violation of United Nations resolutions, drawing a fresh U.S. vow to take its concerns to the world body and seek to hold North Korea "accountable for these actions."

"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests," said U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman.

"Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation.”

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America.

The country has made a number of missile-related tests this year, despite being banned by the UN from any use of ballistic or nuclear technology.

It comes amid concerns that the North may soon launch another long-range rocket or conduct a nuclear test.

The U.S. Strategic Command's systems detected that the Musudan missile failed in a launch conducted near North Korea's northwestern city of Kusong, the Pentagon said in a statement.

It provided no details on what went wrong but said the launch never posed a threat to North America.

South Korea confirmed the failed launch, and said in a statement it strongly condemned the actions of its neighbour.

The Yonhap news agency reported the missile was believed to have exploded soon after its launch, without citing a source for the information.

South Korea's military said early on Sunday that North Korea fired what it believed was a Musudan missile at 0333 GMT on Saturday (11:33 p.m. EDT on Friday) but it failed immediately after launch. It did not elaborate on the reason for the failure.

South Korea and the United States have agreed to deploy the anti-missile system in the South to counter the North's threat. China, the North's main diplomatic ally, has opposed the move saying it would destabilize regional security balance, but Washington has said the system was not aimed at China.

Pyongyang is already under heavy international sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear blast on Sept. 9.