N.K. missile launch officially declared failure

Missile broke up in midair: S.K. Joint Cheifs of Staff

North Korea’s test firing of a long-range Taepodong-2 missile on July 5 was a failure, as the missile broke up in midair within 2 km of the launchpad after 40 seconds of flight, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on September 16.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the failure of the Taepodong-2 was believed to be a technical glitch. "Some said the Taepodong-2 had exploded in midair, but it is correct to say that the missile separated," it said.

The final analysis clarifies and confirms what was said by a senior official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 6, a day after North Korea’s test-firing: "The Taepodong-2 flew normally for 42 seconds after firing, but a problem - possibly related to the engine or other parts - occurred." The official estimated that the missile flew about 490 km for 7 minutes [after its initial 42-second flight] by inertia and fell into the East Sea. This was also confirmed in the final analysis by the Joint Cheifs of Staff.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first analysis was based on limited information, whereas the September 16 announcement was a result of the investigation of information from all possible sources.

Six other missiles test fired on July 5 by North Korea - two Scuds, three Rodongs and one that is believed to have either been a Scud or a Rodong - hit their virtual targets in the East Sea, some 400 km from the launchpad, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said no new signs of activity have been detected at North Korea’s missile launch sites, with military intelligence authorities in both South Korea and the United States closely watching.