SEOUL: North Korea on Saturday tested what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan, the South Korean defence ministry said, with the US and UK strongly condemning the test.

“North Korea launched a projectile which was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) around 6:30pm in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) near the northeastern port of Sinpo”, a defence ministry spokesman said.

“We are keeping close tabs on the North Korean military and maintaining a full defence posture”, he said.

The missile flew 30 kilometres but the launch “appeared to have failed,” he added.

UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said the test showed North Korea’s “blatant disregard” for its international obligations, while the US described it a “clear violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.

“We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further destabilize the region,” US State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2016