South Korea says North Korea missile launch likely failed

Kim Jong Un inspecting a tree nursery.
(Image credit: KCNA/AFP/Getty Images)

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has released a statement saying North Korea tried to launch an unidentified missile early Tuesday morning in the Wonsan area, but likely failed.

The Yonhap news agency reports the missile was a mid-range Musudan, which has a potential range of 2,180 miles, making U.S. military bases in Guam targets. If this report is true, it will be North Korea's fourth unsuccessful test launch of the Musudan since April. South Korea believes North Korea is working on technology to make a missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.