North Korea says it successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

North Korea conducted a missile test off its east coast on Friday morning, but the launch appears to have failed, say US and South Korean officials.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un says his reclusive nation plans more "satellite launches" -- which the West sees as a cover for ballistic missile tests -- calling space exploration a "strategic goal", state media said Friday.