North Korea missile launch failed

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has announced that North Korea's attempt to fire a missile from its eastern coast ended in failure.

According to CNN, the statement from South Korea's military the attempt involved an intermediate-range Musudan missile.

"We call again on North Korea to refrain from actions and rhetoric that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations," a U.S. State Department official said

Earlier this week, U.S. intelligence satellites spotted signs that North Korea may have been preparing to launch a mobile ballistic missile.

Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, and had said it succeeded in miniaturizing nuclear warheads to fit on medium-range ballistic missiles.