North Korea’s latest missile launch appeared to have ended in failure on Wednesday, South Korean defence officials said, three days after the North claimed a major breakthrough in its rocket development program.

The reported launch failure comes as the North is angrily reacting to ongoing annual US-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. Earlier this month, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles that landed in waters off Japan, triggering strong protests from Seoul and Tokyo.

On Wednesday morning, the North fired a missile from the eastern coastal town of Wonsan, but the launch was believed to have ended in failure, Seoul’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it was analysing what type of missile was launched but gave no further details. Yonhap news agency reported the missile was believed to have exploded in midair.

“US Pacific Command detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch attempt … in the vicinity of Kalma,” Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, said in a statement, referring to an airfield in Wonsan.

“A missile appears to have exploded within seconds of launch,” Benham said, adding that work was being carried out on a more detailed assessment.

The failure might mean the missile is a newly developed one the North has not deployed before, according to South Korean media. Last year, the country suffered a series of embarrassing failed launches of its new medium-range Musudan missile before it successfully test-fired one.

American officials said earlier this week that the US military expected another North Korean missile launch in the next several days. The officials said the US had increased its surveillance over the North and had detected a North Korean missile launcher being moved, as well as the construction of VIP seating in Wonsan.

The North’s state media said on Sunday it had conducted a ground test of a new type of high-thrust rocket engine, which it hailed as a breakthrough for the country’s space program. Washington, Seoul and others view the North’s space program as a cover for its banned long-range missile development program.

North Korea is pushing hard to upgrade its weapons systems to cope with what it calls US hostility. Many weapons experts say the North could have a functioning nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the continental US within a few years. The North carried out two nuclear tests last year.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report