North Korea fires ballistic missile, South Korea and Japan say

North Korea's defence minister No Kwang Chol threatened on Saturday to take "more offensive action" as he condemned US security talks with Seoul and the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea.

A day earlier, North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, after denouncing on Thursday fresh US sanctions against North Korean individuals and entities that Washington said were involved in cyber-related money-laundering schemes.

South Korea's defence ministry on Saturday condemned the missile launch, while saying the North's criticism of the US-South Korea meeting was regrettable.