North Korea has fired what appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile, South Korea's military has said.

The South's defence ministry said in a statement that the SLBM missile was launched at around 11.30am Seoul time (3.30am UK time) in waters east of the Korean peninsula.  

No further details were immediately available.

The North previously fired an SLBM missile on 23 April in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the United States whenever it pleased.

The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South.

The plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region.

On Wednesday, the US placed Mr Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses.

Pyongyang lashed out at Washington, warning the North would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted.

The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Mr Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US".

It said any problem arising in relation with the US would be handled under its "wartime law".

(Sky News)