North Korea fails in another missile test

A North Korean mid-range ballistic missile reportedly failed shortly after launch Saturday, according to South Korea and the United States. It was the second such test-fire failure in recent weeks. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korea fired the unidentified missile from around Pukchang, which is near its capital, Pyongyang, but provided no other details. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile was likely a medium-range KN-17 ballistic missile that broke up a couple minutes after launch and fell into the Sea of Japan. In an effort to address North Korea’s escalating nuclear threat, the UN forbids North Korean ballistic missile tests. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, chairing a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, addressed the North Korea threat, saying that “failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences.” He said all options “must remain the table,” while emphasizing the need for diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China would adhere to past UN resolutions and desires a denuclearized peninsula but offered no further punitive steps his government might consider.