Pyongyang Fails In Second Launch Attempt of Musudan Missile: S. Korean Military

North Korea’s second attempt to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile early Thursday has reportedly failed, South Korean military officials said.

The missile may be the same Musudan model that North Korea tried to launch on April 15, military sources told Yonhap.

The missile launched in the North's first Musudan test exploded a few seconds after lifting off from North Korea's east coast. The military said Thursday's launch also seems to have crashed several seconds after launch.

South Korea's military had reportedly dispatched an Aegis-equipped destroyer to the East Sea to detect and track the first launch of mobile Musudan missile.

"The projectile, presumed to be a Musudan, was fired around 6:40 a.m. from the vicinity of Wonsan, but it appears to have plunged to the earth a few seconds later," an official said.

"It is highly likely that the launch failed. With that in mind, South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed assessment," an official added.