North Korea test fired a submarine-based ballistic missile from its east coast, according to the South Korean military.

The KN-11 missile was launched off the coast of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, in the early morning and flew about 500km (300 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan, a US official said.

This comes amid the annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, which kicked off on Monday.

The new test is the third submarine-launched ballistic missile launched by North Korea this year and this has drawn condemnation from the South Koreans

North Korea has become further isolated after a January nuclear test, its fourth, and the launch of a long-range rocket in February brought tightened UN sanctions.

The reported test follows an attempted launch last month that South Korea said failed in its initial flight stage.

Earlier, North Korea warned that current joint military exercises by South Korea and the US – which it sees as a rehearsal for invasion – were pushing the Korean peninsula towards the brink of a war.

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