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Attempted North Korean Missile Launch Fails, US Confirms

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(CBSNEWS) - North Korea attempted and failed to launch a missile, the U.S. Pacific Command confirmed on Saturday.

The official said the missile was not an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which North Korea has claimed to possess but has never successfully tested.

The missile blew up almost immediately, the U.S. Pacific Command said. The type of missile is still being assessed.

It's unclear why it failed. The missile was launched from Sinpo, on its east coast.

The Yonhap news agency in South Korea first reported the failed launch, citing the South Korean military.

"The North attempted to launch an unidentified missile from near the Sinpo region this morning but it is suspected to have failed," the South's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement

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