On Wednesday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan but the projectile is believed to have failed, according to the South Korean military, as it apparently exploded mid-air.
The military stated that South Korea detected the launch from near Pyongyang around 5:30 a.m. and the missile did not cause any damage to aircraft or ships.
A military source noted that Pyonyang may have test-fired a hypersonic missile equipped with a solid-fuel engine but it exploded in flight over the sea.
On the other hand, Japan's Defense Ministry said North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile eastward and it is estimated to have flown more than 200 kilometers at a maximum altitude of about 100 km before falling off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The projectile fell into the sea outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
A hypersonic missile is designed to travel at more than five times the speed of sound.
Given it is difficult for existing missile defense systems to intercept such projectiles, North Korea's acquisition of hypersonic missile capabilities raises regional security concerns, analysts say.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to develop missiles that use solid fuel to shorten the time required for prelaunch preparations, while vowing to secure reconnaissance abilities with satellite systems.
Tokyo lodged a stern protest with Pyongyang over the launch that violates UN Security Council resolutions, condemning North Korea's missile tests as threatening the peace and safety of the international community, according to the Japanese ministry.
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