North Korea fires ballistic missile into the sea, says Seoul

South Korea said the missile flew 800 kilometres before crashing off the North's east coast

A missile is launched during a North Korean military drill in 2013 (North Korean TV/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea, just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered further nuclear warhead and missile tests, according South Korea’s defence ministry.

The launch comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula with the North remaining defiant in the face of the U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed earlier in the month in response to a nuclear test conducted in January.

The missile was launched from an area near the west coast north of the capital, Pyongyang, flying across the peninsular and into the sea off the east coast early Friday morning, Seoul’s office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

They added the missile flew 800 kilometres before crashing off the North's east coast on Friday.

Reuters reported that the distance was likely beyond the range of most short-range missiles in Pyongyang’s arsenal. The regime last fired medium-range missiles in 2014.

It wasn't immediately known what type of missile was fired.

Associated Press, Reuters