News outlets showed images Saturday of North Korea’s annual celebration of its founder, Kim Il Sung, and the exhibition of a long line of missiles through the streets of Pyongyang.
These, when placed alongside comments made by top official Choe Ryong Hae about the United States asking for “nuclear justice,” were a clear attempt by North Korea to display its military might.
Hours later, this appears to have blown up in North Korea's face.
According to ABC News, a Defense Department official said a ballistic missile launch "blew up almost immediately."
“U.S. Pacific Command detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch at 11:21 a.m. Hawaii time April 15. The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo,” U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. David Benham said.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the failed launch and has no comment at this time.
“The president and his military team are aware of North Korea’s most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment,” he said.
The kind of missile that was launched is still being determined, though earlier in the day it was speculated that North Korea had developed and was showing off its version of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
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