North Korea reportedly test-fired a ballistic missile from an underwater platform off its eastern coast on Saturday.

According to North Korean state media, the 'successful' submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test was supervised by country's top leader Kim Jong Un.

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"At the observation post he was briefed on the plan for the test-fire and gave an order for it. As soon as the order was issued, the submarine submerged as low as the biggest depth of waters for launching and fired the ballistic missile," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. "The test-fire was aimed to confirm the stability of the underwater ballistic launching system in the maximum depth of waters."

North Korea's arch rival South Korea raised questions over the success of the launch. South Korean military officials claim that the test was a failure. 

"North Korea launched a projectile which was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile around 6:30 pm (09:30 GMT) in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) near the north-eastern port of Sinpo. We are keeping close tabs on the North Korean military and maintaining a full defense posture," a South Korea official noted.

The United States also confirmed the test fire, stressing that any weapon launched using ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"We closely monitor North Korean activities and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, especially North Korean military activities. We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further destabilize the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its commitments and international obligations," U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said. 

TagsNorth Korea, missile, Ballistic, submarine, South Korea