N. KOREA’S ICBM EXPLODES MID-AIR

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea on Wed. fired what is presumed to be a new ICBM, but it's believed to have exploded in mid-air. It's the first missile launch since South Korea's latest presidential election and the tenth missile firing this year. Washington, which always captures signs of Pyongyang's ICBM tests and issues warnings, has condemned the latest firing as well.

[Pkg]

North Korea fired a ballistic missile at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday yet again. Launched from the Sunan area, the missile flew at an altitude of less than 20 km and exploded midair. Pyongyang has test-fired new types of ICBMs from Sunan twice, on March 5 and Feb. 27. South Korea's military believes the Wednesday launch was also a test of a new ICBM.

[Soundbite] Kim Jun-rak(Joint Chiefs of Staff) : "Our military is monitoring the situation closely to prepare for additional launches and staying on high alert."

The exact cause of the failed launch is yet unknown. But, experts suggest the missile may have exploded because of its liquid fuel leakage.

[Soundbite] Prof. Chang Young-keun(Korea Aerospace Univ.) : "The fact that it exploded implies that either its fuel or oxidizer leaked, causing the explosion."

North Korea is expected to fire more missiles in the near future. However, others suggest it may also take time to identify the cause of the failed test.

[Soundbite] Shin Jong-woo(Korea Defense and Security Forum) : "They'll have to check the technical aspect in detail, and it's unclear now if they will be able to launch what they call a military reconnaissance satellite using the Hwasong-17 (new ICBM) on Kim Il-sung's birthday in April."

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has issued a statement condemning the North's missile test and urging it to refrain from any more destabilizing acts. The South Korean military says it's considering joint military exercises using long-range bombers of the U.S. forces stationed on Guam if Pyongyang fires more ICBMs.