North Korea tests two banned missiles

North Korea tested two banned missiles capable of striking US bases in Guam, with the first launch ending in failure. South Korean military officials say, the two rockets are both powerful, intermediate-range Musudans. The fate of the second missile tested was not immediately clear. South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the North Korea launched the missiles from areas near Wonsan.

UN resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology. Just hours before



today's launch, the Pentagon had warned Pyongyang against pressing ahead with any missile test. The Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, condemned North Korea's missiles testing as intolerable. 

The North has made four previous failed attempts this year to test fly the Musudan, which has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres. The lower range covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range will include US military bases on Guam.