Time

North Korea fired a ballistic missile that failed soon into flight, in an attempted show of force about a week after it struck a military mutual-defense pact with Russia that alarmed the U.S. and its allies.

The missile was launched at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday from an area near Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message sent to reporters. An analysis was being done by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities to find out more details, it said.

The missile flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles) and exploded midair east of the North Korean coastal city on Wonsan, spreading debris over several kilometers, Yonhap reported a JCS official it did not identify as telling local reporters. The missile was likely carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle, a warhead designed to maneuver at high speeds to avoid interception, the official was cited as saying. 

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