Second straight North Korea ballistic missile test fails

A North Korean ballistic missile test failed on takeoff early Saturday, the second straight failure this month, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The test came amid heightened global tensions over the reclusive nation's nuclear weapons program, which President Trump has vowed to stop through military means if diplomatic efforts and economic pressure fail.

The missile apparently exploded seconds after liftoff, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement, according to Yonhap.

The missile was fired from a site in South Pyeongan province north of Pyongyang, the capital, in the early hours of Saturday morning local time, the BBC reported.

North Korea has not commented publicly on the latest firing.

In a statement, the U.S. Pacific Command office said the missile did not leave North Korean territory. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) "determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," according to the statement.

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The abortive test came just hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for tougher sanctions on China and others who trade with North Korea. He told the United Nations Security Council that military action should be considered along with other options.

"All options for responding to future provocations must remain on the table," he said. "Diplomatic and financial levers of power will be backed up by willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action, if necessary."

Tillerson said failure to act would be "catastrophic."

North Korea routinely test-fires a variety of ballistic missiles, despite U.N. prohibitions, as part of its push to develop a long-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching U.S. shores.

A missile launch on April 16 also failed upon launch. It followed a massive military parade, marking the birthday of North Korea state founder Kim Il-sung.

President Trump has taken a hard line with Pyongyang, vowing to prevent the regime of Kim Jong Un from developing a nuclear weapon capable of striking the U.S. He has pressed China, North Korea's closest ally and economic lifeline, to use its influence to persuade Kim to end his nuclear program.

Trump was briefed on the latest missile test, the White House said in a statement. Shortly after, Trump tweeted that North Korea's test was a show of "disrespect" for China.

"North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!", Trump tweeted.

North Korea has vowed to defend itself with its stockpile of nuclear weapons if the U.S. attacks its territory. South Korea's capital of Seoul, with a metropolitan population of 25 million and thousands of U.S. troops stationed there, is a short distance from the North Korean border.