Story highlights The US says it strongly condemns the missile test

It has urged Pyongyang to refrain from provocation in the region

(CNN) US Strategic Command systems detected a failed North Korean ballistic missile launch Saturday evening near the northwestern city of Kusong, the Pentagon said.

"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said in a statement.

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

Washington called on Pyongyang to "refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region," Ross said.

"This provocation only serves to increase the international community's resolve to counter the DPRK's prohibited activities, including through implementing existing UN Security Council sanctions," he said. "Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad."</s>US detects what it says is failed North Korean missile launch

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military says it's detected what's being described as a failed missile launch by North Korea.

A military statement says the launch occurred near the northwestern city of Kusong and that the missile is presumed to be a Musadan intermediate-range ballistic missile.

The military says launch was attempted at 11:33 p.m. EDT Friday (12:03 p.m. Saturday local time) and that the missile didn't pose a threat to North America.

North Korea has claimed technical breakthroughs in its goal of developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental United States. South Korean defense officials have said the North doesn't yet have such a weapon.

In August, Japanese and South Korean officials said a medium-range ballistic missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan's territorial waters.</s>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."

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.

"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."

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

"The North's ballistic missile launch is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and we strongly condemn the North's illegal act of provocation," the South's office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Ross said the United States called on North Korea to "refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region."

The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said late last month that Washington would speed up deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to South Korea given the pace of North Korea's missile tests, and it would be stationed there "as soon as possible."

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.

Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, also told a congressional hearing the United States was in discussions with international partners, including the European Union, to deny North Korea access to international banking infrastructure after its recent nuclear and missile tests.

Pyongyang is already under heavy international sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear blast on Sept. 9. (Additional reporting by Ju-min Park and Jack Kim in Seoul; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Richard Chang)</s>"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said in a statement.

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

Developing story - more to come</s>The U.S. military said Saturday it had detected an unsuccessful launch by North Korea of a powerful medium-range missile capable of hitting American bases as far away as Guam.

U.N. resolutions prohibit North Korea from using ballistic missile technology, and this latest test came as the Security Council is debating fresh sanctions on Pyongyang following its fifth nuclear test in September.

The U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) said the launch, detected just after midday Saturday Korea time, was believed to be of a much-hyped Musudan missile which North Korea has now test-fired seven times — with one partial success.

Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross condemned what he called a clear violation of U.N. resolutions and urged Pyongyang to refrain from any further actions that might raise already elevated tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

“This provocation only serves to increase the international community’s resolve to counter (North Korea’s) prohibited activities,” said Ross.

“We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation,” he added.

First unveiled as an indigenous missile at a military parade in Pyongyang in October 2010, the Musudan has a theoretical range of anywhere between 2,500 km and 4,000 km.

The lower estimate covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include U.S. military bases on Guam.

After a string of five failed launches, North Korea test fired a Musudan in June that flew 400 km into the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

That test was hailed by leader Kim Jong Un as proof of the North’s ability to strike U.S. bases across “the Pacific operation theater.”

Saturday’s failed launch was detected at 12:03 Pyongyang time Saturday from the northwestern North Korean town of Kusong.

Such launches are usually reported within hours or even minutes by the South Korean and U.S. militaries, and it was unclear why Sunday’s USSTRATCOM announcement came so long after the event.

There was no immediate confirmation from the South Korean side.

U.S. weapons analysts say successful Musudan testing could help the nuclear-armed North develop an operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US mainland by 2020.

The North has publicly displayed an ICBM, called the KN-08, that uses the same engine technology as the Musudan but has never been test-fired.

The North Korean state media made no mention of Saturday’s attempted launch, but the official KCNA news agency carried a Foreign Ministry statement warning that the United States would “pay a high price” for recent hostile behavior that had “hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership.”

President Barack Obama “will come to understand the meaning of the price before he leaves the White House,” a ministry spokesman said.

There has been widespread speculation — backed by satellite imagery showing activity at key military installations — that the North is preparing for a sixth nuclear test or a long-range rocket launch — or possibly both.

The latest Musudan test was the first since Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy a sophisticated U.S. anti-missile system on South Korean soil to curb the North’s growing nuclear weapons threat.

Pyongyang has threatened to take “physical action” against the new system, which has also been condemned by the North’s patron, China, as a U.S. bid to flex its military muscle in the region.</s>The U.S. military detected a failed North Korean test launch of an intermediate ballistic missile near the northwestern city of Kusong, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

"We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests," said U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman. "We intend to raise our concerns at the UN to bolster international resolve in holding the DPRK accountable for these actions."

Ross said the U.S. commitment to the defense of its allies in the region, including South Korea and Japan, was "iron-clad" in the face of such North Korean actions. The Pentagon said the missile launch did not pose a threat to North America.</s>North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Saturday that immediately exploded after launch.

The missile was thought to be a mid-range weapon capable of hitting U.S. military bases in Japan or Guam in a move that comes as the international community considers further sanctions on the isolated nation.

The projectile, believed to be a Musudan missile, was fired from near an airfield in the western city of Kusong, at 12:33 a.m. South Korean time, according to a statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The failed launch shows North Korea’s launch capability isn’t perfect, so Kim Jong Un might fire a Musudan again or any other missile soon given his temper,” Yoo Dong Ryul, President of Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy in Seoul, said by phone.

Military officials from South Korea and U.S. shared information on the launch and concluded Sunday that the missile seems to be a Musudan, South Korea’s JCS said. The launch of “a ballistic is an apparent violation of UN Security Council resolutions” and South Korea “strongly denounces illegal provocation by North Korea,” the Joint Chiefs said in a statement.

This latest provocation comes after the launch of 22 ballistic missiles and tests of two nuclear devices already this year — all against United Nation’s resolutions. Saturday’s firing had been anticipated as a way to commemorate the Oct. 10 anniversary of the founding of the workers’ party.

With sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council in March failing to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, the U.S. and its allies are striving to come up with stronger measures. China, North Korea’s only major ally and by far its biggest trading partner, is locked in negotiations with the U.S. over curbing its energy trade with North Korea. South Korea last month picked a site to deploy a U.S. missile system aimed at defending the nation from any North Korean attack.

North Korea is likely to continue to test its weapons as it aims to further develop its capacity to make smaller and lighter warheads that can fit into its intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Institute for Far Eastern Studies said in a report on Sept. 30.

The weekend launch puts the situation in a “new phase,” Japan’s Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said in a Fuji television program on Sunday, adding Tokyo is seeking a new response to the threat.</s>"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said in a statement.

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

Washington called on Pyongyang to "refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region," Ross said.

"This provocation only serves to increase the international community's resolve to counter the DPRK's prohibited activities, including through implementing existing UN Security Council sanctions," he said. "Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad."</s>SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea and the U.S. said Sunday that the latest missile launch by North Korea ended in a failure after the projectile reportedly exploded soon after liftoff.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the military believes the North unsuccessfully attempted to fire a mid-range Musudan missile. It said the failed launch was made near an airport in the North’s North Pyongan province.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said that the missile was believed to have exploded soon after liftoff. Yonhap cited no source for this information.

South Korea strongly condemns the launch because it violates U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea, the statement said.

The U.S. military first reported the launch was attempted at 11:33 p.m. EDT Friday (12:03 p.m. Saturday local time) and that the missile didn’t pose a threat to North America. The action brought harsh criticism from the U.S.

“We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea’s launches using ballistic missile technology,” said Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the U.S. would raise concerns at the U.N.

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

Japan has expressed concern over the launches, and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said Sunday that she wants to work in cooperation with the U.S. and South Korea to assure her country’s security.

North Korea has claimed technical breakthroughs in its goal of developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental United States. South Korean defense officials have said the North doesn’t yet have such a weapon.

It’s the latest in a series of moves by North Korea aimed apparently at displaying a show of force. As recently as last month, it fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast, timed to get the attention of world leaders including President Barack Obama who were visiting the region for a series of summits. The U.N. Security Council subsequently condemned those North Korean launches and threatened “further significant measures” if it refused to stop its nuclear and missile tests.

North Korea also conducted its fifth nuclear test last month and in all has launched more than 20 ballistic missiles this year, part of its program aimed at improving the delivery system for nuclear weapons. Earlier this year, North Korea successfully launched a Musudan missile in June after several failed attempts.

Musudan has a range of 2,180 miles — enough to reach U.S. military installments in Japan and Guam.

Obama has vowed to work with the United Nations to tighten sanctions against North Korea, but has also said that the U.S. was still open to dialogue if the government changes course.

The U.S. strategy has largely centered on trying to get China, North Korea’s traditional ally, to use its influence to persuade the North to change course. North Korea is continuing missile test launches even as the U.N. Security Council is deliberating a further tightening of sanctions after the September nuclear test.

Previously in August, Japanese and South Korean officials said a medium-range ballistic missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan’s territorial waters.</s>SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea tried but failed to fire an intermediate-range missile, U.S. and South Korean officials said Sunday.

It was the first attempted missile launch since the North conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test Sept. 9, prompting a wave of international condemnation and efforts to impose new sanctions against the isolated country.

The missile test also occurred hours before the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier docked in the southeastern port city of Busan on Sunday for what the Navy called a routine visit after a week of maritime war games with the South Korean navy.

North Korea watchers have predicted in recent weeks that Pyongyang was preparing for another provocation, with satellite images showing activity at its main nuclear testing facility as well as its Sohae satellite-launching station.

The Pentagon said U.S. Strategic Command systems detected the failed launch of a presumed Musudan missile near the northwestern city of Kusong on Saturday.

Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross strongly condemned the missile test and stressed the U.S. commitment to defending allies South Korea and Japan is “ironclad.”

“This provocation only serves to increase the international community’s resolve to counter the DPRK’s prohibited activities,” he said, using the acronym for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region,” he added.

South Korea’s military said the missile failed immediately after launch, according to the Yonhap news agency. The Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned what it called an “illegal provocation” that violated U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the North from using ballistic missile technology.

North Korea has carried out an unprecedented number of missile tests this year, and experts say it is showing clear technical progress in its nuclear weapons program despite numerous failures.

Only one of the Musudan missiles, which have a range that puts them in reach of U.S. bases in Japan and Guam, is believed to have flown far enough to be considered a success. But experts say the North’s scientists learn from each failure.

Pyongyang has conducted five underground nuclear tests since 2006 , including two this year — one in January and the other on Sept. 9 — causing tensions to rise on the divided peninsula.

The U.S. and South Korea regularly conduct joint military exercises, which they insist are defensive in nature. North Korea, however, considers them a rehearsal for an invasion. It denounced the participation of the USS Ronald Reagan — the Navy’s only forward-deployed carrier — in naval exercises this week.

The Navy flew a group of reporters out to the ship 150 to 175 miles southwest of Osan Air Base on Friday to show off the carrier’s striking power. Nine fighter jets took off and 15 made landings during a 30-minute demonstration of FA-18 Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeyes and the EA-18G Growler.

U.S. officials said the Ronald Reagan’s arrival in Busan was a routine port call that would allow the 5,500 crew members to engage with their South Korean counterparts. But Navy commanders stressed they were ready to defend the peninsula.

“We remain dedicated to the security of this nation … and this region,” Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of Naval Forces Korea, said in remarks after the ship docked.

He said the carrier strike group was there “to send a clear signal of the strength of our alliance and our resolve to protect (South Korea) from unprovoked acts of aggression.”
The United States Defense Department reports its Strategic Command systems detected a failed North Korean ballistic missile launch near the city of Kusong in North Pyongan Province.