The Associated Press SEOUL (AP) — South Korea and the United States said Sunday the latest missile launch by North Korea ended in a failure after the projectile exploded soon after liftoff.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the military believes the North unsuccessfully attempted to fire a mid-range Musudan missile. It said the failed launch was made near an airport in the North’s North Pyongan Province.

South Korea strongly condemns the launch because it violates U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea, the statement said.

The U.S. military first reported the launch was attempted at 11:33 p.m. EDT Friday (12:03 p.m. Saturday local time) and that the missile didn’t pose a threat to North America. The action brought harsh criticism from the United States.

“We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea’s launches using ballistic missile technology,” said Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the United States would raise concerns at the United Nations.

“Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad,” Ross said. “We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation.”Speech