North Korean missile explodes in air in failed launch

A North Korean missile exploded after liftoff in a failed weapons launch on Wednesday as concerns rise that the country is preparing to institute its longest-range missile in recent years.

The North Korean missile blew up while it was flying at an altitude of less than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), a South Korean military official said requesting anonymity because he wasn’t publicly authorized to speak to media on the issue. He said the cause of the explosion wasn’t known.