Sharjah24 – AFP: North Korea's state media was silent Thursday after a suspected missile test ended in what Seoul said was total failure, exploding mid-air in the skies above the capital Pyongyang almost immediately after launch.

The North test-fired what was most likely a ballistic missile from the Sunan area of the capital, home to some three million people, early Wednesday, South Korea's military said.

The projectile exploded moments after launch, with Seoul-based specialist NK News reporting that debris fell in or near Pyongyang as a red-tinged ball of smoke zigzagged across the sky.

North Korea's state media -- Rodong Sinmun and KCNA news agency -- typically carry reports on successful weapons tests within 24 hours of launch, often with photographs.

But state media on Thursday made no mention of the test, the tenth launch this year in the face of biting sanctions.

"North Korea is constantly promoting this myth that its leadership is doing a great job. They don't want to highlight any failures," Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the private Sejong Institute said.