Suspected N.Korea missile fails immediately after launch, S.Korea military says

SEOUL/TOKYO: North Korea fired an "unknown projectile" on Wednesday which appeared to fail immediately after launch, South Korea's military said after Japanese media reported a suspected missile launch by the nuclear-armed North.

The suspected missile was fired from an airfield outside the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement.

The airfield has been the site of several recent launches, including two of what the United States and South Korea said were tests of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system. North Korea said those tests were for developing components of a reconnaissance satellite.

A source at Japan's Ministry of Defence called the projectile a potential ballistic missile, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

Reclusive North Korea has fired missiles at an unprecedented frequency this year, conducting its ninth weapons test on March 5, drawing condemnation from the United States, South Korea and Japan.

North Korea used what would be its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in two recent launches, and appears to be restoring some tunnels at its shuttered nuclear test site, U.S. and South Korean officials said last week.