South Korea: Suspected midrange North Korean missile crashes

A South Korean man watches a TV news program showing images published Sunday in North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper of North Korea’s ballistic missile that the North claimed to have launched from underwater, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, April 24, 2016. North Korea said Sunday that it successfully test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine and warned of its growing ability to cut down its enemies with a “dagger of destruction.” South Korea couldn’t immediately confirm the claim of success in what marks Pyongyang’s latest effort to expand its military might in face of pressure by its neighbors and Washington. AP FILE PHOTO

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Defense Ministry says a suspected powerful midrange North Korean missile has crashed seconds after liftoff.

If confirmed to be the same type of missile, Thursday’s launch is the second such failure in recent weeks. It’s particularly embarrassing as it comes ahead of a major ruling party meeting next week in Pyongyang.

A Defense Ministry official says the launch was likely the second attempt for the inaugural test of a Musudan, a new, powerful midrange missile that could one day be capable of reaching far-off US military bases in Asia and the Pacific. It exploded in the air a few seconds after liftoff.

READ: Seoul says North Korean missile launch apparently fails

The launch comes as the Koreas trade threats amid Pyongyang’s anger over annual South Korean-US military drills that North Korea calls a rehearsal for an invasion.

READ: North Korea tests submarine-launched missile — South