North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch Fails

South Korean officials say North Korea's attempt to launch a missile from its eastern coast on Tuesday, June 1, has apparently failed. This is the latest instance of North Korea's unsuccessful efforts to test ballistic missiles. A South Korean official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters that the attempt to test the missile occurred at 5:20 AM Seoul time (20:20 Monday night GMT). He did not provide further details to reporters. Since North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and several ballistic missile tests in February, tensions in Northeast Asia have escalated. The Japanese government put its military on alert on Monday due to the possibility of this missile test. The country's defense minister stated at a press conference, "North Korea continues to develop its nuclear missile program, and as a result, we are prepared to respond in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, and we are closely monitoring these developments." U.S. and South Korean officials had previously stated that all three of North Korea's attempts to test this new ballistic missile in April were unsuccessful. South Korea's official news agency reported, citing a government official, that the missile intended for testing likely exploded just as it separated from its mobile launch platform. China, North Korea's only major ally, called for avoiding any actions that would escalate tensions in the region. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said at a press conference, "The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains complex and sensitive. We believe all parties should refrain from actions that would escalate tensions." China has been angered by North Korea's nuclear and missile tests this year and supported the adoption of new Security Council resolutions in March to intensify sanctions against the country. Reuters adds that by Tuesday afternoon, North Korea's state news agency had not reported any news regarding the country's attempt to launch another missile. The Pentagon stated that it had detected the unsuccessful test of a medium-range ballistic missile, but it poses no threat to North America. The U.S. Department of Defense condemned North Korea's missile tests, which violate Security Council resolutions. The likely reason for North Korea's rush to test its weapon technologies in recent months was the holding of the first congress of the ruling party in 36 years this month, where Kim Jong Un, North Korea's young leader, consolidated his control over the country. The missile test on Tuesday appears to be the first since the ruling party congress, and experts say conducting another test shortly after the recent unsuccessful attempts seems strange. South Korean officials say the recent missile test in North Korea is likely due to Kim Jong Un's order in March this year to expand tests related to nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles. North Korea has so far been unable to successfully test this new model of missile called 'Musudan.' Theoretically, the range of these missiles is such that they could target not only South Korea but all of Japan and U.S. territory in Guam. According to South Korean media reports, North Korea is estimated to possess about 30 of these types of missiles. South Korean officials say this model was first developed in 2007. The recent test site was reportedly near the city of Wonsan on North Korea's eastern coast, where previous unsuccessful Musudan missile tests had also taken place.