North Korea missile test ends in failure

North Korea conducted a missile launch Wednesday morning, U.S. and South Korean officials said, but it was unsuccessful.

Commander David Benham, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command, said the missile "appears to have exploded within seconds of launch." It was fired in the vicinity of Kalma, where earlier tests of the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile have taken place. U.S. officials believed a missile launch was imminent, as surveillance showed increased activity in the area.

The mobile-launched Musudan is thought to have a minimum range of 1,500 miles, and can be difficult to track and fired on short notice, ABC News reports. North Korea doesn't have the best track record with the missile — in the last year, seven of the eight Musudan launches were failures.

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