S.Korea: North Korea's attempted missile launch fails

The isolated dictatorship's state-run TV showed what appeared to be several KN-08 and KN-14 missiles rolled out on trucks at the parade.

North Korea has a history of marking significant dates with shows of military capability, and it was its ICBMs that were most notable on the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung.

Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror".

South Korea's official Yonhap News Agency said Seoul's national security chief would convene the National Security Council later Sunday to assess the situation.

There would be "no winners" if war between the U.S. and North Korea broke out, China has warned, amid growing tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapon and missile programmes.

The United States a few days ago dispatched what Trump called an "armada" of ships in a show of force, including an aircraft carrier, into waters off the peninsula amid fears that North Korea was preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests.

The country's number two official on Saturday said North Korea was prepared to respond to any nuclear attack by the United States in kind.

Trump has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide details of the launch, and it was not immediately clear what type of missile was sacked.

While the two missile canisters appeared to accommodate missiles larger than any the country has publicly displayed, they were empty but insinuated North Korea's intentions to build larger ICBMs.

DPRK stands for the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The country conducted two nuclear tests previous year.

Tension had escalated sharply in the region amid concerns that the reclusive North may soon conduct a sixth nuclear test or a ballistic missile test launch timed with the April 15 anniversary it calls the "Day of the Sun".

"North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from Sinpo area in the South Hamkyong Province this morning, but we suspect the launch has failed", South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, China also issued a stern warning on Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out "at any moment" after Pyongyang vowed a "merciless" response to any U.S. military action.

"I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea".

Kim Jong Un has engaged in a war of words with President Trump amid recent missile tests.

An attempted missile launch by North Korea on Sunday failed, US and South Korean defense officials told CNN.

He has repeatedly said that if China, North Korea's dominant trading partner, isn't willing to do more to squeeze the North, the US might take the matter into its own hands.

North Korea, still technically at war with South Korea after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, but not a treaty, has on occasion conducted missile or nuclear tests to coincide with big political events.