North Korea in new missile test

South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched on Sunday afternoon local time.

The test comes a week after North Korea tested what it said was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead.

Last Monday, the UN Security Council again demanded that Pyongyang conduct no further such tests.

It stressed the importance of North Korea "immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization through concrete action".

The latest missile flew about 500km (310 miles), the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, and flew towards the Sea of Japan. Last week's missile travelled about 700km.

Japanese news agencies said the missile probably fell into the sea outside Japanese waters.

The White House said the latest missile appeared to have a shorter range than those used in North Korea's last three tests.

North Korea is known to be developing both nuclear weapons - it has conducted five nuclear tests - and the missiles capable of delivering those weapons to their target. Both are in defiance of UN sanctions.

South Korea said the latest test was conducted in Pukchang, in the west of the country. A missile exploded soon after take-off from Pukchang last month.

Earlier on Sunday, the North's state-run media had said it would continue to launch more "weapons capable of striking" the US.

In early May, the US said a missile defence system it had installed in South Korea was now operational.

The Thaad system can intercept North Korean missiles, although full operational capability is still some months away. North Korea and its ally China have condemned the installation of the system.

However, there is no sign that Thaad was used against the missile tested on Sunday.

Yonhap reported that newly-installed South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, has called an urgent meeting of his national security council in response.