An attempted projectile launch by North Korea on Sunday failed, a South Korean defense ministry official told CNN.
The attempted launch occurred a day after the regime of Kim Jong Un showed off a bevy of new missiles and launchers at its annual military parade.
CNN’s Will Ripley in Pyongyang, North Korea, reported there was no immediate confirmation from North Korean state media about the launch.
North Korea’s actions come as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have spiked to alarming levels.
The US Navy dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson strike group to the region last weekend, and US President Donald Trump has been tweeting this week that if China can’t rein in North Korea’s nuclear program, the United States will.
US Vice President Mike Pence is headed to Asia this weekend, with planned stops in Seoul; Jakarta, Indonesia; Tokyo and Sydney.
The reported failed test comes at a time of year when North Korea has previously tried to launch missiles. Last year, Pyongyang attempted to launch a Musudan missile on April 15, an auspicious date on which millions celebrate the birth of the nation’s founder — Kim II Sung, the late grandfather of North Korea’s current leader.
That test also failed, as there was “no evidence the missile reached flight,” a US official told CNN.
Developing story – more to come