 "North Korea fires what appears to be a missile, reports Yonhap news agency")
North Korea has fired off what appears to be a ballistic missile, Yonhap news agency reported today, citing the South's military, as tensions flare over its nuclear ambitions.
News of the launch comes as US President Donald Trump seeks tougher sanctions against the isolated nuclear-armed regime, which is on a quest to develop a missile capable of reaching the continental United States.
The unidentified missile was fired from near the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan, Seoul's joint chief of staff said.
South Korea's new president, Moon Jae-In, has ordered a meeting of the national security council to assess the launch, Yonhap reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has sought to ramp up the country's weapons programme.
Pyongyang has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of rocket firings since the start of last year, triggering UN sanctions.