The Defense Ministry said that North Korea fired a missile from an airfield in Wonsan, Gangwon Province on Wednesday but that its launch attempt appears to have failed.
 
The ministry said that it is analyzing details, including the type of missile fired. It added that the South’s military is preparing for the possibility of additional provocations, including more missile launches.
 
The missile fired on Wednesday appears to have exploded in midair or crashed instantly after breaking away from the launch pad.
 
If a missile fired from the ground reaches a certain height, South Korean Aegis destroyers can detect it on their radars. However, if a missile explodes in midair immediately after it is fired, Aegis destroyers’ radars can’t pick it up and instead the missile can be detected by U.S. intelligence satellites.
 
The launch attempt came while South Korea and the U.S. are carrying out their annual joint military exercises. The Key Resolve drill will end on Friday and the Foal Eagle exercise will continue until the end of April.
 

[Photo : ]