When a North Korean Missile Accidentally Hit a North Korean City Early last year, a North Korean IRBM crashed in a populated area. What does that tell us? By Ankit Panda and Dave Schmerler January 03, 2018 What happens when a North Korean ballistic missile test fails in flight and explodes in a populated area? On April 28, 2017, North Korea launched a single Hwasong-12/KN17 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from Pukchang Airfield in South Pyongan Province (the Korean People’s Army’s Air and Anti-Air Force Unit 447 in Ryongak-dong, Sunchon City, to be more precise). That missile failed shortly after launch...