N.Korean Ballistic Missile Explodes Mid-Air: Reports

A North Korean projectile, likely a ballistic missile, fired Wednesday exploded mid-air at an altitude of below 20km, the South’s military claimed.

The projectile is said to have been shot from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at around 9:30 a.m., South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. 

This launch is the 10th of its kind this year.

Military authorities are investigating whether the latest projectile is the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that the North tested on Feb. 27 and March 5.

Last week, South Korea and the U.S. criticized the past two launches as new ICBM system tests ahead of a full-range launch. They dismissed the North's claim that they were meant to develop a "reconnaissance satellite."

"At this point, our assessment is that the projectile launch appears to have been botched as it failed to reach a certain altitude in its early boost phase," a JCS official was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

"The United States will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the U.S. homeland and our allies," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a press release. "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK and Japan remains ironclad," ROK stands for South Korea's official name, Republic of Korea.