North Korea's test-fire of a suspected long-range missile on Wednesday morning is believed to have exploded soon after takeoff.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North launched a presumed ballistic missile from Pyongyang's Sunan area at around 9:30 a.m., but determined that it failed soon after takeoff.

The missile is said to have exploded in mid-air at an altitude below 20 kilometers.

Military authorities are conducting detailed analysis under the presumption that the North launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM).

A JCS official said a comprehensive analysis is underway between intelligence authorities in South Korea and the U.S., adding that authorities had been closely monitoring related developments since detecting signs of an impending missile test beforehand.

The latest projectile test is Pyongyang's tenth launch of the year. The regime conducted two previous rounds of tests, believed to be of its new ICBM system, on February 27 and March 5.

[Photo : YONHAP News]