Latest North Korean missile was a Scud: US official
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A man walks past a TV screen showing file footage of a North Korean missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul on April 5, 2017.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US defence official said on Wednesday (April 5) that the latest missile fired by North Korea was an extended-range Scud, and suffered an in-flight failure.
"A Scud ER (extended range) flew about 60km before suffering an in-flight failure and crashing into the Sea of Japan," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
US and South Korean officials had previously said the missile was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile.
Scud missiles are liquid fueled, whereas the KN-15 use solid fuels, meaning they are more mobile and quicker to launch.
Wednesday's missile launch was from a "fixed site" near Sinpo, the official said.
