North Korea fails missile launch celebrating founder’s birthday

North Korea failed to launch a ballistic missile in an attempt meant to celebrate the birthday of the rogue nation’s founder, Kim Il Sung, South Korean and U.S. officials announced Friday.

According to The Associated Press, the missile exploded in midair just a few seconds after it was launched.

{mosads}The AP also reported that Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters that even though the launch failed, it “was nonetheless another provocation by North Korea in a region that doesn’t need that kind of behavior.”

“We strongly condemn North Korea’s missile test in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions, which explicitly prohibit North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology,” a U.S. defense official said.

Experts believe the missile was a “Musudan,” which is supposedly capable of reaching U.S. military bases in Japan and Guam. This would be the first time North Korea has launched a Musudan, and it is unclear why the test failed.

Leading North Korean ally China, which has been stepping up its criticism of the isolated nation in light of a series of missile tests this year, also condemned the failed launch in state media.

“The firing of a mid-range ballistic missile on Friday by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, though failed, marks the latest in a string of saber-rattling that, if unchecked, will lead the country to nowhere,” China’s official Xinhua news agency said in an English language commentary, according to Reuters.